U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS. 

IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 
AND  THE  STATE  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION. 

r 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY, 

NORTH  CAROLINA. 


S.  O.  PERKINS,  in  Charge,  and  R.  E.  DEVEREUX,  of  the 
U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  and  S.  F.  DAVID¬ 
SON  AND  AV.  A.  DAVIS,  OF  THE  NORTH  CARO¬ 
LINA  Department  of  Agriculture. 


[Advance  Sheets — Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1920.] 


WASHINGTON  : 

GOVERNMENT  printing  OFFICE. 
1923. 


*ice 

4NdT 


[Public  Resolution — No.  9.] 

JOINT  RESOLUTION  Amending  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty-sixth  Congress, 
second  session,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  hundred  and  one,  “  provid¬ 
ing  for  the  printing  annually  of  the  report  on  field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils, 
Department  of  Agriculture.” 

Resolved  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  United  States  of 
America  in  Congress  assembled ,  That  public  resolution  numbered  eight,  Fifty- 
sixth  Congress,  second  session,  approved  February  twenty-third,  nineteen  hun¬ 
dred  and  one,  be  amended  by  striking  out  all  after  the  resolving  clause  and 
inserting  in  lieu  thereof  the  following: 

That  there  shall  be  printed  ten  thousand  five  hundred  copies  of  the  report  on 
field  operations  of  the  Division  of  Soils,  Department  of  Agriculture,  of  which 
one  thousand  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of  the  Senate,  three 
thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  six  thousand 
copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture :  Provided,  That  in  addition 
to  the  number  of  copies  above  provided  for  there  shall  be  printed,  as  soon  as 
the  manuscript  can  be  prepared,  with  the  necessary  maps  and  illustrations  to 
accompany  it,  a  report  on  each  area  surveyed,  in  the  form  of  advance  sheets, 
bound  in  paper  covers,  of  which  five  hundred  copies  shall  be  for  the  use  of 
each  Senator  from  the  State,  two  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  each  Repre¬ 
sentative  for  the  congressional  district  or  districts  in  which  the  survey  is  made, 
and  one  thousand  copies  for  the  use  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture. 
Approved,  March  14,  1904. 

TOn  July  1,  1901,  the  Division  of  Soils  was  reorganized  as  the  Bureau  of  Soils.] 


/af/l* 


CONTENTS 


Page. 

Description  of  the  area _  7S5 

Climate _  787 

Agriculture _ 788 

Soils _  793 

Cecil  stony  loam _  796 

Cecil  fine  sandy  loam _  797 

Cecil  loam _  798 

Cecil  clay  loam _  799 

Cecil  clay _  800 

Porters  stony  loam _  800 

Porters  loam _  801 

Ashe  stony  loam _ 803 

Ashe  fine  sandy  loam _  803 

Burton  stony  loam _  804 

Davidson  clay  loam _  805 

Iredell  stony  loam _ ' _  806 

Wilkes  sandy  loam _  806 

Appling  fine  sandy  loam _  807 

Altavista  fine  sandy  loam _ 807 

Toxaway  loam _  808 

Congaree  fine  sandy  loam _  808 

Congaree  silt  loam _ ! _ _ _  809 

Meadow  ( Congaree  material ) _ 1 _  810 

Rough  stony  land _  810 

Rock  outcrop _  811 

Summary _ 811 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


FIGURE. 

Page. 

Fig.  23. — Sketch  map  showing  location  of  the  Buncombe  County  area, 

North  Carolina _ _  785 

MAP. 

Soil  map.  Buncombe  County  sheet,  North  Carolina. 

iii 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2019  with  funding  from 
University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


/ 


https://archive.org/details/soilsurveyofbuncOOperk 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH 

CAROLINA. 

By  S.  O.  PERKINS,  in  Charge,  and  R.  E.  DEVEREUX,  of  the  U.  S.  Department 
of  Agriculture,  and  S.  F.  DAVIDSON  and  W.  A.  DAVIS,  of  the  North  Carolina 
Department  of  Agriculture. 


Fig.  23. — Sketch  map  showing 
location  of  the  Buncombe 
County  area,  North  Carolina. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  AREA. 

Buncombe  County  is  situated  in  the  western  part  of  North  Caro¬ 
lina,  and  equidistant  from  South  Carolina  on  the  south  and  Ten¬ 
nessee  on  the  north.  The  boundaries  of  the  county  for  the  most  part 
follow  the  mountain  ranges,  giving  it  a  very  irregular  shape.  Its 
greatest  length  is  about  35  miles  east 
and  west,  its  greatest  width  25  miles 
north  and  south,  and  its  area  is  612 
square  miles,  or  391,680  acres. 

The  region  in  which  Buncombe 
County  lies  could  be  well  divided  into 
two  physiographic  divisions,  intermoun¬ 
tain  plateau  and  mountain.  The  broad 
valley  situated  on  both  sides  of  the 
French  Broad  River  comprises  the  intermountain  plateau,  which  is 
almost  surrounded  by  mountain  ranges,  the  Blue  Ridge  and  Black 
Mountains  on  the  east  and  south  and  the  Newfound  Range  and  the 
foothills  of  the  Great  Smokies  on  the  west  and  north.  The  intermoun¬ 
tain  plateau  consists  essentially  of  a  rather  deeply  cut  but  not  very 
sharply  dissected  plain  somewhat  more  rugged  than  some  of  the  Pied¬ 
mont  Plateau  province.  There  is  very  little  really  level  land  on  the 
plateau  surface,  the  rolling  topography  being  more  or  less  continuous. 
There  are  narrow  strips  of  nearly  level  bottom  land,  from  a  few  feet  to 
600  feet  in  width,  bordering  most  of  the  smaller  streams,  and  in  some 
places  along  the  French  Broad  and  Swannanoa  Rivers  and  Hominy 
and  Cane  Creeks  these  bottoms  broaden  out  to  one-half  mile  in  width. 
The  hills  range  from  50  to  300  feet  in  height  above  the  streams. 
These  hills  are  rounded  into  singularly  even  and  graceful  curves. 
The  drainage  basins  of  the  French  Broad  and  Swannanoa  Rivers 
and  Cane,  Hominy,  Newfound,  and  Turkey  Creeks  form  the  greater 
part  of  the  intermountain  area,  which  comprises  about  70  per  cent  of 
the  entire  area  of  the  county.  The  adjacent  mountain  ranges  form  a 
rather  abrupt  margin  to  this  intermountain  area,  though  outlying 
knobs  and  higher  hills  and  ridges  in  some  places  render  this  boundary 
less  apparent.  The  average  elevation  of  this  intermountain  plateau 
is  about  2,300  feet  above  sea  level. 

The  most  rugged  and  mountainous  parts  of  the  county  are  the 
eastern,  southeastern,  southwestern,  western,  and  northeastern.  The 
Elk  Mountains,  commencing  just  northeast  of  Asheville,  extend  into 
the  Great  Craggy  Mountains.  There  are  numerous  peaks  in  this 

785 


786  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 

great  range,  the  most  important  of  which  are  Potato  Knob,  with  an 
elevation  of  6,419  feet;  Blackstock  Knob,  6,886  feet;  Craggy  Dome, 
6,105  feet;  and  Yeates  Knob,  5,925  feet.  Big  Pisgah  Mountain  is 
the  highest  peak  on  the  western  boundary,  with  an  elevation  of  5,718 
feet.  These  mountains  are  very  steep  and  rough. 

The  United  States  Congress  has  recently  created  a  national  park 
and  game  preserve,  known  as  the  Pisgah  National  Forest,  most  of 
which  lies  in  North  Carolina.  The  largest  area  of  this  forest  in 
Buncombe  County  is  in  the  Pisgah  Ridge,  in  the  southwestern  part 
of  the  county;  another  area  occurs  in  the  Black  Mountains  and  the 
Great  Craggy  Mountains.  The  total  area  included  in  Buncombe 
County  is  26,769  acres.  The  United  States  Government  has  option 
on  several  thousand  acres  more. 

The  French  Broad  River,  the  largest  stream  and  the  main  drain¬ 
age  way,  divides  the  county  into  two  parts,  the  eastern  part  being 
slightly  the  larger.  The  river  lias  a  general  south  to  north  course 
from  the  Henderson  County  line  to  about  2  miles  north  of  Asheville, 
and  thence  flows  in  a  slightly  northwesterly  direction  until  it  leaves 
the  county.  The  streams  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county  flow  in  a 
general  westerly  direction,  emptying  into  the  French  Broad  River. 
The  largest  of  these  are  the  Swannanoa  River  and  Reems,  Beaver- 
dam,  and  Flat  Creeks.  The  Ivy  River  drains  the  northeastern  corner 
of  the  county  and  flows  out  of  the  county  about  1  mile  west  of  Grant- 
ville,  emptying  into  the  French  Broad  River  in  Madison  County. 
Cane  Creek,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county,  has  a  south¬ 
westerly  course,  crossing  the  county  boundary  into  Henderson 
County,  where  it  empties  into  the  French  Broad  River.  The  streams 
in  the  western  part  of  the  area  flow  in  a  northeasterly  direction,  ex¬ 
cept  Hominy  Creek,  which  runs  east,  and  all  empty  into  the  French 
Broad  River.  All  the  streams  except  the  French  Broad  River  and 
Hominy  Creek  have  their  sources  within  the  county. 

Buncombe  County  has  excellent  natural  drainage ;  creeks,  branches, 
and  streamlets  ramify  all  parts  of  the  county,  and  every  farm  is 
connected  with  one  or  more  of  these  outlets.  Springs  of  good  water 
are  found  on  almost  every  farm,  and  many  gravity  water  systems 
have  been  installed.  The  small  streams  are  swift  flowing  and  have 
cut  deep  ravines.  Considerable  water'  power  is  being  developed  for 
gristmills,  sawmills,  and  roller  mills  on  nearly  all  the  creeks  in  the 
county.  The  French  Broad  River  has  a  fall  of  about  375  feet  in  its 
length  of  33  miles  across  the  county.  Considerable  water  power  is 
being  developed  on  this  stream,  but  thousands  of  horsepower  are 
going  to  waste.  The  city  of  Asheville  and  vicinity  is  supplied  with 
power  from  a  hydroelectric  plant  about  5  miles  below  Asheville. 

Buncombe  County  was  formed  in  1791  from  parts  of  Burke  and 
Rutherford  Counties.  In  1808  and  1850  Haywood  and  Madison 
Counties,  respectively,  were  formed  from  parts  of  Buncombe 
County.  The  first  settlements  in  the  Buncombe  County  area  were 
made  about  150  years  ago.  Prior  to  this  the  region  was  occupied 
by  the  Cherokee  Indians,  who  were  as  a  rule  on  fairly  friendly  terms 
with  the  white  settlers.  The  early  pioneers  were  mostly  of  Scotch 
and  Irish  descent,  and  nearly  all  the  present  native  inhabitants 
trace  their  ancestry  to  these  early  settlers. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  787 

According  to  the  1920  census,  the  total  population  of  the  county 
is  64,148,  of  which  35,644,  or  55.6  per  cent,  is  classed  as  rural.  In 
recent  years  there  has  been  a  drift  of  population  from  the  rural 
districts  to  the  towns  and  mill  centers.  The  rural  population  in  1920 
averaged  55.8  persons  per  square  mile.  In  the  intermountain  pla¬ 
teau  section  the  population  is  rather  evenly  distributed;  in  the 
mountain  region  it  is  confined  largely  to>  the  valleys  of  the  small 
streams. 

Asheville,  the  county  seat,  with  a  population  of  28,504  in  1920,  is 
the  principal  town.  Weaverville,  the  next  largest  town,  has  a  popu¬ 
lation  of  606.  Other  locally  important  towns  are  Black  Mountain, 
which  had  a  population  of  531  in  1920;  Barnardsville,  Biltmore, 
Leicester,  Swannanoa,  Fairview,  Candler,  and  Montreat. 

The  transportation  facilities  of  the  county  are  excellent.  The 
main  line  of  the  Southern  Railway  traverses  the  area,  entering  the 
county  on  the  eastern  boundary  at  Ridge  Crest,  following  down  the 
Swannanoa  River,  passing  through  Asheville,  and  thence  northward 
down  the  French  Broad  River  out  of  the  county.  The  Spartan¬ 
burg  line  and  the  Murphy  branch  of  the  same  system,  extending 
south  and  west  from  Asheville,  afford  transportation  to  the  southern 
and  western  parts  of  the  county.  ‘The  Asheville  &  East  Tennessee 
Electric  Railway,  running  from  Asheville  to  Weaverville,  is  an  out¬ 
let  to  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county. 

The  public  roads  of  Buncombe  County  are  as  a  whole  the  best 
in  any  county  in  western  North  Carolina.  Asheville  is  on  the  east¬ 
ern  branch  of  the  Dixie  Highway,  and  is  the  terminus  of  the  Ashe- 
ville-Charlotte-Wilmington  Highway  via  Chimney  Rock  and  the 
Asheville-Hendersonville-Greensville- Spartanburg  Road.  The  roads 
in  almost  every  section  of  the  county  are  well  graded  and  kept  in 
good  repair,  and  roads  are  being  regraded  and  rebuilt  with  mac¬ 
adam,  asphalt,  concrete,  or  sand-clay.  The  telephone  service  is  fairly 
good  throughout  the  county. 

The  principal  markets  for  agricultural  products  are  Asheville  and 
Black  Mountain.  Other  local  markets'  are  Weaverville,  Barnards¬ 
ville,  Sandymush,  Candler,  and  Swannanoa.  All  truck  crops  find 
ready  sale  in  Asheville,  Weaverville,  Black  Mountain,  and  Montreat. 
A  good  many  cattle  are  driven  to  Clyde,  in  Haywood  County,  and 
shipped  out  of  the  State.  All  dairy  products,  poultry,  and  poultry 
products  find  ready  sale  in  Asheville  and  other  places  in  the  county. 

CLIMATE. 

The  climate  of  Buncombe  County  is  favorable  to  general  agricul¬ 
ture.  It  is  characterized  by  a  somewhat  lighter  annual  precipitation 
than  the  rest  of  the  mountain  section  of  North  Carolina,  and  the 
rainfall  around  Asheville  is  probably  much  lighter  than  in  other 
parts  of  the  county.  The  county  has  more  fair  days  and  a  compara¬ 
tive  absence  of  disagreeable  or  destructive  winds,  owing  to  its  posi¬ 
tion  with  regard  to  the  surrounding  mountains. .  > 

The  mean  annual  precipitation  at  Asheville  is  41.06  inches.  The 
rainfall  is  distributed  so  that  crops  seldom  suffer  from  drought  or 
excessive  rain.  Even  in  1904,  the  driest  year  recorded,  the  rainfall 
was  30.07  inches  and  was  about  normal  during  the  growing  season. 


788  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 

In  1918,  the  wettest  year  on  record,  it  was  51.08  inches.  The  rainfall 
is  distributed  throughout  the  year,  but  is  greatest  during  the  growing 
season  and  lightest  during  September,  October,  and  November.  The 
average  annual  snowfall  for  the  20  years  of  record  is  9.3  inches. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  is  54.1°  F. ;  the  warmest  month  is 
July,  with  a  mean  temperature  of  71.7°  F.,  and  the  coldest  is  Jan¬ 
uary,  with  a  mean  temperature  of  35.4°  F.  There  is  little  variation  in 
the  mean  temperature  of  the  winter  months.  The  highest  tempera¬ 
ture  recorded  at  the  Asheville  station  was  95°  F.  on  August  6,  1918. 
The  lowest,  —6°  F.,  was  in  February. 

The  average  date  of  the  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring  is  April  14, 
and  that  of  the  first  in  the  fall.  October  18.  This  gives  an  average 
growing  season  of  187  days,  which  is  adequate  for  most  of  the  staple 
crops  grown  in  the  State.  The  latest  recorded  date  of  killing  frost  in 
the  spring  was  May  10,  and  the  earliest  in  the  fall,  October  3.  The 
grazing  season  lasts  practically  all  the  year.  The  prevailing  direc¬ 
tion  of  the  wind  in  the  summer  is  southwest  and  in  the  winter 
northeast. 

The  following  table  gives  the  normal  monthly,  seasonal,  and  annual 
temperature  and  precipitation,  as  compiled  from  the  records  of  the 
Weather  Bureau  station  at  Asheville : 


Normal  monthly ,  seasonal,  and  annual  temperature  and  precipitation  at 

Asheville. 


(Elevation,  2,255  feet.) 


Month. 

Temperature. 

Precipitation. 

Mean. 

Absolute 

maximum. 

Absolute 

mimimum. 

Mean. 

Total 

amount  for 
the  driest 
year  (1904). 

Total 

amount  for 
the  wettest 
year  (1918). 

Snow, 

average 

depth. 

0  F. 

°F 

°F. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

Inches. 

December . 

37.8 

70 

-4 

3. 08 

2. 02 

4.  73 

0.8 

January . 

35.  4 

75 

-3 

2.85 

1.42 

4.  56 

3.6 

February . 

38.5 

77 

-6 

3. 21 

2. 06 

1.98 

3.2 

Winter . 

37.2 

77 

-8 

9.14 

5.  50 

11.27 

7.6 

March . 

44.9 

86 

5 

3. 95 

4. 34 

2.  25 

.6 

April . 

53.9 

86 

13 

3.20 

1.64 

2.  74 

.1 

May . 

G2.6 

91 

31 

3. 60 

3.  17 

4. 38 

.0 

Spring . 

53.8 

91 

5 

10.  75 

9.15 

9. 37 

.  ( 

June . 

68.7 

92 

38 

4.  20 

4.  01 

6.53 

.0 

July . 

71.7 

94 

48 

4. 75 

2.  61 

2. 74 

.0 

August . 

70.5 

95 

47 

4.  57 

3.  55 

5. 07 

.0 

Summer. . . . 

70.3 

95 

38 

13.  52 

10.17 

14. 34 

.0 

September . 

65.0 

88 

32 

2.90 

2. 13 

3.00 

.0 

October . 

55.3 

85 

20 

2.  48 

.02 

11.32 

.2 

November . 

45. 1 

75 

9 

2.  27 

3.10 

1.78 

.8 

Fall . 

55. 1 

88 

9 

7. 65 

5.  25 

16.10 

1.0 

Year . 

54. 1 

95 

-6 

41.06 

30.  07 

51.08 

9.3 

AGRICULTURE. 

The  early  pioneers  settled  along  the  creeks  and  rivers  and  began 
to  cultivate  the  richer  and  more  easily  tilled  bottom  land.  For 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  789 

generations  they  bought  little  and  sold  little  because  of  the  distance 
to  market;  there  were  no  railroads  and  the  county  roads  were  poor. 
They  depended  a  good  deal  on  hunting  and  fishing,  but  the  chief 
source  of  income  was  cattle  and  hogs.  The  animals  were  marked  or 
branded  and  turned  loose  in  the  mountains.  No  fences  were  required, 
except  around  the  gardens  and  corn  patches.  Cattle  and  hogs  were 
driven  to  markets  in  South  Carolina.  As  a  class,  the  people  of  this 
section  never  were  wealthy ;  they  were  content  to  make  a  good  living 
without  accumulating  much  or  keeping  pace  with  the  agriculture  in 
other  sections  of  the  State.  This  region  was  affected  very  little  by 
the  Civil  War.  The  county  did  not  really  begin  to  develop  until  the 
railroad  reached  Asheville. 

According  to  the  census  of  1880,  there  were  2,560  farms  in  Bun¬ 
combe  County  in  1879,  with  an  average  of  38.9  acres  of  improved 
land  per  farm.  Corn,  with  a  total  area  of  29,108  acres,  was  the  most 
important  crop,  followed  by  wheat,  oats,  rye,  and  hay  in  the  order 
named.  Tobacco  was  grown  on  947  acres,  with  a  production  of 
475,428  pounds.  The  production  of  sorghum  sirup  amounted  to 
43,678  gallons.  Buckwheat  was  grown  on  575  acres,  with  a  produc¬ 
tion  of  3,981  bushels.  The  output  of  potatoes  was  19,211  bushels,  and 
87  acres  of  sweet  potatoes  produced  5,872  bushels.  Orchard  products 
were  valued  at  $22,270,  and  forest  products  at  $47,646. 

The  acreage  of  corn,  oats,  hay,  and  sweet  potatoes  increased  during 
the  next  decade,  while  wheat,  buckwheat,  and  rye  decreased.  The 
production  of  potatoes  more  than  doubled,  while  the  acreage  in 
tobacco  was  trebled  in  this  period,  3,409  acres  producing  1,482,688 
pounds.  There  were  102,238  apple  trees  and  33,500  peach  trees  in 
1889. 

From  the  returns  of  the  1900  census  it  is  seen  that  the  production 
of  corn,  wheat,  hay  and  forage,  fruits,  and  livestock  and  livestock 
products  had  made  the  heaviest  increases.  The  value  of  livestock, 
dairy,  and  poultry  products  sold  in  1899  amounted  to  $287,244; 
forest  products  were  valued  at  $63,481;  and  orchard  products  at 
$50,061. 

During  the  decade  from  1900  to  1910  the  acreage  in  com  decreased 
about  30  per  cent,  oats  about  50  per  cent,  wheat  about  20  per  cent, 
hay  and  forage  crops  about  40  per  cent,  while  tobacco  decreased 
from  1,178  to  44  acres.  There  was  an  increase  in  the  acreage  of 
Irish  potatoes  and  in  fruit  and  truck  crops  and  a  large  increase 
in  the  value  of  livestock  and  livestock  products. 

At  present  com  is  the  principal  crop  grown.  According  to  the 
1920  census,  671,522  bushels  were  produced  from  28,830  acres  in  1919, 
with  an  average  yield  of  23.3  bushels  per  acre.  Corn  is  used  chiefly 
for  feeding  stock  and  fattening  hogs,  and  some  is  ground  into  meal 
for  home  use.  Many  farmers  have  a  surplus  that  is  sold  in  the  local 
markets.  The  principal  varieties  are  Cross  182,  Biggs  Prolific,  Tip- 
pard,  and  Boone  County  White.  Most  of  the  corn  is  produced  on  the 
bottom  lands  and  colluvial  slopes,  as  the  higher  yields  are  obtained 
on  these  soils,  but  in  the  vicinity  of  Leicester  and  Jupiter  and 
throughout  the  central  and  northern  parts  of  the  county  the  best 
farmers  produce  good  yields  of  corn  upon  the  uplands. 

Wheat  is  the  next  crop  of  importance,  the  1920  census  reporting  a 
production  of  123,534  bushels  on  14,333  acres,  with  an  average  yield 

44489°— 23 - 2 


790  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 

of  8.6  bushels  per  acre.  Wheat  is  used  mainly  to  supply  flour  for 
the  home,  but  some  of  the  better  farmers  produce  a  surplus,  which  is 
sold  in  the  local  markets  or  to  millers.  Smooth  wheats  are  usually 
grown  on  the  uplands  and  bearded  wheats  on  the  bottom  lands. 

Oats  were  grown  on  2,604  acres,  yielding  36,236  bushels,  in  1919, 
an  average  of  14  bushels  per  acre.  The  principal  varieties  are  Red 
Rust  Proof,  Winter  Appier,  Ninety  Day,  and  Black  Spring.  Oats 
are  sometimes  sown  with  crimson  clover  and  cut  for  hay,  and  some 
oats  are  fed  to  stock  in  the  sheaf. 

Hay  and  forage  crops  occupied  16,149  acres,  yielding  20,009  tons, 
in  1919.  Cultivated  grasses,  consisting  mostly  of  clover  and  timothy 
mixed,  and  of  clover  alone,  produced  most  of  the  hay  crop.  Clover 
and  timothy  mixed  occupied  4,214  acres  and  produced  4,301  tons  of 
hay,  while  clover  alone  occupied  an  area  of  2,130  acres,  producing 
1,993  tons  of  hay.  Clover  is  a  good  improver  for  the  land,  and  many 
of  the  farmers  grow  the  crop  for  the  beneficial  effects  that  it  has  on 
succeeding  crops  of  corn  and  wheat. 

Soy  beans  are  beginning  to  be  important.  The  crop  is  cut  for 
hay,  harvested  for  seed,  or  turned  under  for  soil  improvement. 
When  cut  for  hay  the  yield  ranges  from  1^  to  4  tons  per  acre,  and 
when  harvested  for  seed,  from  12  to  18  bushels  per  acre.  At  the 
Buncombe  County  State  Test  Farm  at  Swannanoa  as  much  as  48 
bushels  per  acre  has  been  produced  on  experimental  plots. 

Sorghum  is  grown  on  many  farms  for  the  manufacture  of  sirup. 
According  to  the  1920  census,  the  acreage  in  1919  was  3,085  acres, 
from  which  46,483  gallons  of  sirup  were  produced. 

Potatoes  are  grown  throughout  the  county  and  good  yields  are 
obtained,  the  1920  census  reporting  73,551  bushels  from  963  acres, 
an  average  of  76.4  bushels  per  acre.  Yields  range  from  50  to  200 
bushels  per  acre.  The  potatoes  are  of  excellent  quality,  the  tubers 
being  smooth  and  having  a  mealy  structure.  Sweet  potatoes  were 
grown  on  131  acres,  yielding  9,066  bushels.  Vegetables  are  grown 
not  only  for  home  consumption  but  to  supply  the  market  in  Ashe¬ 
ville  and  other  towns.  Approximately  $500,000  worth  of  vegetables 
are  annually  sold  in  the  county.  The  production  of  tobacco  in 
1919  was  80,000  pounds.  Buckwheat  is  grown  in  patches  distributed 
over  the  county. 

Fruit  growing  is  an  important  industry,  particularly  in  the  moun¬ 
tainous  section  of  the  county.  Nearly  every  farmer  throughout  the 
area  has  a  few  apple  trees,  and  many  of  them  have  extensive  or¬ 
chards.  New  orchards  are  being  set  out.  The  principal  varieties 
grown  commercially  are  the  Winesap,  Stayman  Winesap,  Limber- 
twig,  Delicious,  Grimes,  York  Imperial,  Hoover,  Wolf  River,  and 
Gano.  Apples  do  especially  well  on  the  mountain  slopes,  where 
the  air  drainage  is  good.  There  is  every  reason  to  believe  that  this 
industry  will  be  greatly  extended  in  the  future,  as  the  soils  and 
climatic  conditions  are  favorable  for  the  production  of  a  good 
quality  of  fruit.  The  1920  census  reports  the  number  of  bearing 
trees  and  the  yields  as  follows:  Apples,  164,172  trees,  58,886  bushels; 
peaches,  37,022  trees,  3,395  bushels;  pears,  1,480  trees,  144  bushels; 
plums,  1,682  trees,  104  bushels;  cherries,  5,758  trees,  3,044  bushels. 
All  these  fruits  apparently  do  well  when  properly  cared  for. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  791 

The  combined  value  of  all  domestic  animals  January  1,  1920, 
reached  a  total  of  $1,<  <8,068.  On  that  date  there  were  10,074  hogs 
m  the  county,  1,883  sheep,  8,829  beef  cattle,  and  12,381  dairy  cattle. 
For  1919  the  value  of  dairy  products,  excluding  home  use  of  milk 
and  cream,  amounted  to  $744,901,  and  the  value  of  poultry  and 
poultry  products,  $300,471. 

The  cattle  are  well  distributed  over  the  county,  though  more  exten¬ 
sively  raised  in  the  mountain  sections.  The  hogs  are  confined  mainly 
to  the  valley  section.  Sheep  are  raised  chiefly  in  the  mountains. 
Part  of  the  live  stock  is  butchered  on  the  farms  or  sold  in  the  local 
markets ;  the  rest  is  shipped  out  of  the  county.  There  are  a  few 
cattlemen  who  own  large  areas  of  mountain  land  and  handle  a  con¬ 
siderable  number  of  cattle  each  year,  annually  shipping  out  the 
mature  and  fat  cattle  and  carrying  younger  animals  over  the  winter. 

In  addition  to  the  staple  farm  crops,  fruits,  poultry,  and  dairy 
products,  and  cattle,  a  considerable  revenue  in  the  aggregate  is 
derived  from  the  sale  of  lumber,  crossties,  and  tanbark.  The  market¬ 
ing  of  these  products  gives  employment  to  people  during  that  season 
of  the  year  when  farm  work  is  not  heavy. 

The  agriculture  of  Buncombe  County  at  the  present  time  is  typical 
of  that  of  a  large  section  of  this  mountainous  country  in  that  no  large 
and  important  money  crop  is  raised.  Most  of  the  farmers  produce  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  the  staple  farm  products,  such  as  corn,  wheat, 
clover,  oats,  potatoes,  buckwheat,  fruits,  dairy  products,  and  all  kinds 
of  vegetables  and  truck  crops  to  supply  home  requirements.  The 
cash  income  received  by  the  farmers  is  chiefly  from  the  sale  of  the 
corn,  wheat,  fruits,  cattle,  dairy,  and  poultry  products,  and  truck 
crops,  supplemented  in  many  cases  by  returns  from  the  sale  of  forest 
products,  such  as  lumber,  tanbark,  acid  wood,1  and  crossties.  Pota¬ 
toes  and  cabbage  are  the  principal  source  of  income  in  some  of  the 
mountain  sections.  Some  farmers  in  the  county  do  not  produce  suf¬ 
ficient  grain  and  hay  to  feed  their  work  stock,  and  considerable  quan¬ 
tities  are  shipped  into  the  county  every  year.  Since  this  area  is 
well  adapted  to  these  crops,  every  farmer  should  .grow  enough  for 
home  use  and  have  a  surplus  for  sale.  In  the  vicinity  of  Asheville, 
Weaver ville,  Black  Mountain,  Montreat,  and  Swannanoa  the  chief 
source  of  income  is  from  the  summer  tourists  who  visit  this  section 
and  from  the  sale  of  vegetable  and  truck  crops.  Truck  farms  are 
found  all  over  the  county.  With  good  roads  it  is  possible  by  use  of 
motor  trucks  to  place  vegetables  in  the  local  markets  in  first-class 
condition,  and  the  farmers  find  ready  sale  in  these  markets  for  all 
their  produce  at  good  prices. 

The  soils  of  the  stream  bottoms  are  recognized  by  the  farmers  as 
being  more  productive  for  corn  and  hay  and  those  of  the  uplands  as 
better  adapted  to  wheat  and  clover.  The  Porters  loam,  Porters 
stony  loam,  and  the  Burton  stony  loam  are  known  as  excellent  grass 
and  orchard  land.  Corn  and  potatoes  also  do  well  on  these  soils. 
The  Davidson  clay  loam  and  Cecil  clay  loam  are  considered  best 
for  small  grains  and  clover,  but  corn  also  is  a  successful  crop  on  these 
soils.  The  Cecil  fine  sandy  loam  and  Cecil  loam  are  good  general- 


1  Wood  used  in  the  production  of  certain  products  by  distillation. 


792  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 

purpose  soils.  Truck  crops  are  grown  with  excellent  results  on  these 
soils. 

The  farm  improvements  as  a  rule  are  good.  The  farm  houses  are 
generally  roomy  and  well  built  and  the  barns  usually  large  enough 
to  shelter  all  the  stock.  In  sornie  of  the  more  remote  mountain  sec¬ 
tions  are  found  a  few  one-room  houses  and  inadequate  shelter  for 
the  stock. 

Among  the  most  extensively  used  implements  on  the  farms  are 
binders,  threshing  machines,  mowing  machines,  one-horse  and  two- 
horse  turning  plows,  three-horse  riding  plows,  both  disk  and  turn¬ 
ing,  disk  harrows,  drag  harrows,  hillside  plows,  grain  drills,  and 
corn  harvesters.  There  are  a  few  tractors,  silage  cutters,  corn  shred¬ 
ders,  and  farm  motor  trucks. 

In  1919,  according  to  the  census,  $56,109  were  spent  for  fertilizer 
on  2,059  farms  reporting  its  use,  an  average  of  $27.25  per  farm  re¬ 
porting.  Acid  phosphate,  the  principal  fertilizer  used,  is  applied  at 
the  rate  of  100  to  300  pounds  per  acre.  A  mixture  of  cottonseed 
meal  and  acid  phosphate,  100  pounds  of  meal  to  200  pounds  acid, 
is  sometimes  used.  Corn  does  not  receive  much  fertilizer,  and  on 
the  bottom  lands  and  mountain  slopes  it  is  seldom  given  any.  The 
same  fertilizers  are  used  for  all  crops  except  potatoes,  on  which  a 
complete  mixture  analyzing  8-2-2  2  or  8-3-3  is  used.  Bottom  soils 
are  not  as  a  rule  fertilized.  Stable  manure  is  used  on  the  poorest 
upland  fields,  gardens,  and  truck  patches. 

Farm  labor  is  scarce  and  high.  Most  of  the  farmers  have  to  de¬ 
pend  mainly  on  their  own  family  for  cultivating  and  handling  the 
crops.  Laborers  are  usually  paid  from  $1  to  $2  per  day.  When 
hired  by  the  month  the  wage  ranges  from  $20  to  $50.  Some  laborers, 
hired  for  long  periods,  are  provided  with  house,  garden,  and  cow  in 
addition  to  these  wages.  From  6  to  10  cents  a  bushel  is  paid  for 
picking  apples.  The  1920  census  reports  an  expenditure  of  $161,565 
for  labor  on  914  farms,  an  average  of  $176.75  per  farm  reporting. 

The  farms  in  Buncombe  County  vary  in  size  from  10  to  250  acres, 
with  a  few  large,  holdings  of  1,200  to  2,000  acres,  these  large  tracts 
being  mostly  forest  and  mountain  pasture  land.  According  to  the 
1920  census  report,  the  average  size  of  farms  is  71.9  acres,  of  which 
48.6  per  cent,  or  35  acres,  is  improved  land.  In  1920,  74.7  per  cent 
of  farms  were  operated  by  owners,  24.3  per  cent  by  tenants,  and  1 
per  cent  by  managers.  Under  the  share  system,  which  is  in  general 
use  on  the  better  upland  soils  of  the  county,  the  landlord  furnishes 
house,  implements,  and  one-half  the  fertilizer,  and  receives  one-half 
of  the  corn  and  two-thirds  of  the  wheat.  On  the  bottom  lands  the 
tenant  usually  receives  one-tliird  of  the  crops. 

Farm  land  varies  in  price  from  $10  to  $200  an  acre,  depending 
on  the  state  of  improvement.  Usually  the  best  bottom  land  brings 
the  highest  price.  The  average  price  of  good  farm  land  is  about 
$85  an  acre.  The  average  assessed  value  of  farm  land  as  reported  by 
the  1920  census  is  $48.82  per  acre. 

The  mountainous  portions  of  the  county  offer  splendid  oppor¬ 
tunities  for  apple  growing,  stock  raising,  and  forestry.  These 
mountains  contain  large  areas  of  virgin  hardwood  forest. 


2  Proportions,  respectively,  of  phosphoric  acid,  nitrogen,  and  potash. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  793 


SOILS.3 

The  soils  of  Buncombe  County  are  prevailingly  brown  to  reddish 
brown,  although  there  are  some  noticeable  areas  of  gray  to  grayish- 
brown  soils,  and  also  a  few  areas  of  black  soils.  The  brown  to 
reddish-brown  soils  occupy  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  county  and 
represent  most  of  the  agricultural  land  in  the  area.  They  are 
forest  soils,  and  therefore  contain  very  little  organic  matter.  The 
dominant  textures  of  these  soils  are  loams  and  clay  loams  with  small 
areas  of  fine  sandy  loam.  Most  of  these  soils  have  a  friable  or  a 
brittle  structure,  and  there  are  only  a  few  small  areas  of  soils  that 
have  plastic  subsoils. 

A  common  characteristic  of  these  soils  is  the  absence  of  free  car¬ 
bonates;  that  is,  no  carbonates  have  been  accumulated  in  these 
soils,  although  the  original  material  contains  lime.  Leaching  has 
been  thorough,  owing  to  the  extremely  heavy  rainfall  and  the  ex¬ 
cellent  natural  drainage.  In  the  wooded  areas  erosion  is  much  less 
active  than  in  the  cultivated  fields. 

There  are  four  main  groups  or  classes  of  upland  soil  in  Buncombe 
County.  The  first  group  comprises  the  reddish-brown  to  red  surface 
soils  that  have  red,  stiff,  but  fairly  brittle  subsoils.  These  occur  ex¬ 
tensively  in  the  northwestern  part  and  the  west-central  part  of  the 
county  in  the  French  Broad  Valley.  They  are  particularly  notice¬ 
able  in  the  vicinity  of  Asheville  and  around  Leicester  and  Jupiter, 
and  also  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county  around  Arden  Park. 
These  soils  have  been  classed  as  the  Cecil  types  and  range  in  texture 
from  fine  sandy  loam  to  clay.  The  fine  sandy  loam  and  loam  are 
grayish  brown  to  brown  in  the  surface  portions,  while  the  clay  loam 
and  clay  are  reddish  brown  to  red  in  the  surface  soil.  These  soil  types 
occupy  the  smoother  upland  areas  of  the  county.  They  occur  prin¬ 
cipally  on  the  intermountain  areas  or  along  the  foothills  of  the 
mountains,  and  range  in  elevation  from  about  2,000  to  2,500  feet. 

The  second  group  comprises  brown  soils  with  yellowish-brown  to 
reddish-brown  friable  subsoils.  These  are  developed  in  large  areas 
in  the  extreme  western  part  of  the  county,  in  the  southeast  corner, 
and  in  the  eastern  and  northeastern  parts.  They  represent  typical 
mountain  soils  and  have  been  classed  as  Porters  loam  and  Porters 
stony  loam.  These  soils  are  typically  developed  at  elevations  rang¬ 
ing  from  2,500  to  6,000  feet. 

The  third  group  of  soils  comprise  gray  or  brownish-gray  surface 
soils,  with  yellow  to  brownish-yellow  friable  subsoils.  These  are  the 
Ashe  soils,  which  are  closely  associated  with  the  Porters  soils.  They 
are  developed  along  the  high  mountains  in  the  northeastern  part  of 
the  county  and  occupy  a  comparatively  small  area.  The  Ashe  stony 
loam  is  the  most  important  type. 

The  fourth  group  of  soils  comprises  types  with  black  surface  soils 
and  reddish-brown  friable  subsoils.  These  soils  are  represented  here 


3  Thp  coils  of  Buncombe  County  do  not  loin  those  of  Henderson  County,  ihe  (  ceil 
loom  RouA  stony  land  and  Burton  stony  loam  of  Buncombe  County  adjoin  lai.ee  areas 
nf  BVters  lolm  of  Henderson  County.  Small  areas  of  Ashe  stony  loam  also  join  small 
bodied  of  Porto  loam  and  Porters  sandy  loam.  These,  discrepancies  along  the  county 
v*nnn"dn rv  ore  due  to  a  bettor  understanding  and  reclassification  of  the  soils  since  lien 
Iwhm  Coimt v  was  surveyed  in  1907.  The  Porters  series  has  been  revised  to  include 
brown  soils  with  a  reddish-brown  or  yellowish-brown  friable  subsoil,  and  the  Burton 
seriJs  his  been Established  to  take  care  of  the  black  soils  in  the  mountains  which  were 
formerly  mapped  as  Porters  black  loam. 


794  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 

by  the  Burton  stony  loam,  which  is  developed  on  the  high  mountains 
and  along  the  northern  slopes  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county 
on  Great  Craggy  Mountain  and  in  a  few  small  areas  scattered  else¬ 
where  throughout  the  high  mountains. 

Throughout  the  northeastern  part  of  the  county  are  extensive  areas 
of  Bough  stony  land,  which  is  unsuited  for  agriculture.  There  are 
also  large  areas  of  like  nature  in  the  southeastern  and  northwestern 
corners  of  the  county. 

In  addition  to  these  general  groups  of  upland  soils,  there  are  a  few 
small  areas  of  soils  which  have  distinct  characteristics.  These  are 
included  in  the  Davidson,  Iredell,  Wilkes,  and  Appling  series.  There 
are  also  a  few  strips  of  first-bottom  and  second-bottom  soils  along 
the  French  Broad  Biver  and  some  of  the  creeks. 

Practically  all  of  the  soils  of  Buncombe  County  are  residual  in 
origin;  that  is,  they  have  been  derived  from  the  weathering  of  the 
underlying  rock  formations.  By  far  the  greater  part  of  the  county 
is  underlain  by  the  Carolina  gneiss,  which  forms  the  country  rock 
in  the  northeastern,  eastern,  western,  and  southern  parts  of  the 
county  and  also  in  the  vicinity  of  Asheville.  This  is  a  light-gray  to 
dark-gray  rock,  composed  of  quartz,  feldspar,  muscovite,  and  a  little 
biotite  mica.  It  has  a  banded  structure.  Associated  with  this  rock 
is  a  mica  gneiss  which  differs  from  the  Carolina  gneiss -in  that  it 
contains  more  feldspar.  This  formation  gives  rise  to  the  Cecil, 
Porters,  and  Ashe  soils.  In  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  from 
Grantville  to  Jupiter  and  on  past  Alexander  and  across  the  French 
Broad  Biver,  are  areas  of  Boan  gneiss.  This  formation  is  darker 
colored  than  the  Carolina  gneiss  and  probably  contains  more  horn¬ 
blende  and  biotite  mica.  It  gives  rise  principally  to  the  Cecil  soils. 
In  the  southeastern  corner  of  the  county  small  areas  of  fine  black 
schist  or  slate  rock  occur.  Strips  of  conglomerate  are  also  developed 
in  the  vicinity  of  Black  Mountain  and  extending  a  short  distance  to 
the  southwest.  To  the  west  of  Alexander  are  small  areas  of  meta- 
gabbro.  This  represents  the  light  and  dark  colored  gabbro  rock 
which  gives  rise  to  the  Iredell  stony  loam.  There  are  spots  of  soap¬ 
stone  rock  between  Swannanoa  and  Asheville.  In  the  extreme  west¬ 
ern  end  of  the  county  are  a  few  spots  of  Hiwassee  slate. 

The  soils  of  the  county  have  been  classed  into  soil  series  on  a  basis 
of  similarity  in  color,  structure,  origin,  organic  content,  topography, 
and  drainage  conditions.  The  series  have  been  subdivided  into  indi¬ 
vidual  types  on  the  basis  of  texture;  that  is,  whether  the  soil  is  a 
sand,  sandy  loam,  loam,  silt  loam,  clay  loam,  or  clay,  which  is  deter¬ 
mined  by  the  proportions  of  mineral  particles  of  different  sizes  of 
which  the  soils  are  composed. 

The  upland  soils  of  the  county,  comprising  practically  the  entire 
area,  have  been  classed  in  the  Cecil,  Porters,  Ashe,  Burton,  Davidson, 
Iredell,  Wilkes,  and  Appling  series. 

The  types  in  the  Cecil  series  have  gray,  reddish-brown,  or  red 
surface  soils  and  a  red,  stiff  but  brittle  clay  subsoil.  The  fine  sandy 
loam  and  the  loam  have  gray  to  brown  surface  soils,  whereas  the  clay 
loam  and  clay  have  reddish-brown  to  red  surface  soils.  Five  types, 
the  Cecil  loam,  clay  loam,  fine  sandy  loam,  stony  loam,  and  clay, 
were  mapped. 

The  types  in  the  Porters  series  are  characterized  by  brown  surface 
soils  and  a  yellowish-brown  to  reddish-brown  friable  subsoil.  These 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  795 

represent  the  typical  mountain  soils  and  are  readily  distinguishable 
from  the  Cecil.  The  Porters  loam  and  stony  loam  were  mapped. 

The  soils  of  the  Ashe  series  differ  from  those  of  the  Porters  in  that 
the  surface  soil  is  gray  or  brownish  gray,  and  the  subsoil  is  yellow 
to  brownish  yellow.  They  are  closely  associated  with  the  Porters 
soils,  and  in  many  places  it  was  difficult  to  draw  any  distinct  line 
between  them.  Only  two  types,  the  stony  loam  and  fine  sandy  loam, 
are  developed  in  the  county. 

The  types  included  in  the  Burton  series  are  characterized  by  black 
surface  soils  high  in  organic  matter  and  a  reddish-brown  or  yellow¬ 
ish-brown  friable  soil.  Only  one  type,  the  Burton  stony  loam,  is 
mapped. 

The  Davidson  series  includes  types  with  reddish-brown  to  dark- 
red  surface  soils  and  a  darker  red  to  maroon  red,  stiff  but  friable, 
smooth  subsoil.  The  soils  are  derived  from  diorite  and  metagabbro 
rocks.  One  type,  the  clay  loam,  occurs  in  the  county. 

The  types  in  the  Iredell  series  have  dark-red  to  rusty-brown  sur¬ 
face  soils  and  a  brownish  yellow,  heavy,  plastic  impervious  clay 
subsoil.  This  series  is  derived  from  diorite  and  metagabbro,  and  the 
type  mapped,  the  Iredell  stony  loam,  is  readily  distinguished  from 
any  of  the  other  soils  in  the  county. 

In  the  types  of  the  Wilkes  series  the  surface  soils  are  gray  to 
brownish,  and  the  subsoil  is  very  variable  in  color  and  structure,  fre¬ 
quently  grading  into  either  a  yellowish-brown  heavy  clay  or  the  dis¬ 
integrated  rock  within  the  3-foot  section.  One  type,  the  sandy  loam, 
is  mapped. 

The  Appling  series  includes  types  with  gray  to  brownish- gray  sur¬ 
face  soils  and  a  mottled  yellow  and  red  or  reddish-yellow,  compact 
but  friable  subsoil.  Only  the  Appling  fine  sandy  loam  is  developed 
here. 

Along  the  rivers  and  larger  creeks  are  developed  areas  of  first- 
bottom  soils  and  small  bodies  of  second-bottom  or  terrace  soils.  These 
soils  represent  materials  which  have  been  washed  from  the  uplands 
and  redeposited  by  the  streams.  The  Altavista  series  includes  the 
second-bottom  or  terrace  material,  and  the  Congaree  and  Toxaway 
series  comprise  the  first-bottom  soils. 

The  types  of  the  Altavista  series  have  gray  to  light-brown  surface 
soils  and  a  yellow  to  brownish-yellow  friable  subsoil.  These  soils 
are  developed  on  the  second  bottoms  or  terraces.  The  Altavista  fine 
sandy  loam  is  mapped. 

The  Congaree  series  includes  types  with  brown  to  reddish-brown 
surface  soils  and  a  light-brown  friable  subsoil.  Both  the  soil  and 
subsoil  contain  a  noticeable  amount  of  small  mica  scales.  Two  types, 
the  fine  sandy  loam  and  silt  loam,  occur  in  this  county. 

The  types  in  the  Toxaway  series  are  characterized  by  black  surface 
soils  and  a  black,  steel-gray,  or  brown,  friable  subsoil.  Only  the 
Toxaway  loam  is  developed. 

In  addition  to  the  above-described  series  there  are  three  miscel¬ 
laneous  classifications  of  material,  namely,  Meadow  (Congaree  ma¬ 
terial),  Rough  stony  land,  and  Rock  outcrop. 

In  the  following  pages  of  this  report  the  different  soils  are  de¬ 
scribed  in  detail  and  their  relation  to  agriculture  discussed.  The 


796  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  TRIE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1020. 


following  table  gives  the  actual  and  relative  extent  of  the  different 
soil  types : 

Areas  of  different  soils. 


Soil. 

Acres. 

Per 

cent. 

Soil. 

Acres. 

Per 

cent. 

Porters  stony  loam . 

87, 104 

22.2 

Davidson  clay  loam . 

3, 520 

0.9 

Cecil  clay  loam . 

85,  504 

21.8 

Cecil  clay _ . 

2, 496 

.6 

Cecil  loam . 

66, 688 

17.0 

Appling  fine  sandy  loam . 

2,368 

.6 

Rough  stony  land . 

36j 160 

9.3 

Ashe  fine  sandy  loam . 

2, 048 

.5 

Cecilfme  sandy  loam . 

30'  464 

"78 

Iredell  stony  loam . 

960 

.3 

Porters  loam . . . 

22,  592 

5.8 

Altavista  fine  sandy  loam . 

832 

.2 

Congaree  fine  sandy  loam . 

11,'  008 

2.8 

Rock  outcrop . 

832 

.2 

Burton  stony  loam” . 

7,  808 

2.0 

Meadow  (Congaree  material) . 

832 

.2 

Cecil  stony  loam . 

7, 744 

2.0 

Toxaway  loam . 

448 

.  1 

Ashp  stonv  loam 

7  680 

2  0 

Congaree  silt  loam . 

7^552 

1.9 

Total . 

391, 680 

Wilkes  sandy  loam . 

7,  040 

1.8 

CECIL  STONY  LOAM. 

The  Cecil  stony  loam  is  a  grayish-brown  to  brown  friable  loam  6  to 
10  inches  deep,  underlain  by  a  red  to  a  brownish-red  rather  heavy 
friable  clay,  which  may  extend  to  3  feet  or  more,  though  locally  the 
bedrock  is  encountered  at  20  to  30  inches  below  the  surface.  In 
places  the  brown  surface  soil  passes  into  a  pale-red  friable  clay  loam 
that  extends  to  a  depth  of  9  to  14  inches  and  gradually  passes  into  a 
red,  stiff,  crumbly  clay.  Quartz  gravel  and  larger  fragmentary  rocks 
are  scattered  plentifully  over  the  surface  and  mixed  with  both  soil 
and  subsoil.  This  soil  type  differs  from  the  Cecil  loam  chiefly  in  that 
it  contains  from  30  to  60  per  cent  of  angular  rock  fragments  con¬ 
sisting  principally  of  gneiss.  The  surface  soil  on  Spivey  Mountain 
and  Beaver  View  is  a  reddish-brown  stony  loam. 

The  Cecil  stony  loam  lies  along  the  foot  of  some  of  the  higher 
mountains,  on  knolls,  and  on  the  tops  of  some  of  the  low  mountains. 
The  largest  bodies  occur  2^  miles  north  of  Liberty  Church,  around 
Spivey  Mountain  and  Leaver  View,  2^  miles  south  of  Candler,  near 
Avery  Creek,  bordering  Stony  Fork  south  of  Dunsmore,  and  in  other 
areas  scattered  throughout  the  southern  and  eastern  parts  of  the 
county. 

The  surface  of  this  type  varies  from  rolling  to  strongly  rolling  and 
steep.  Both  surface  and  internal  drainage  are  good. 

The  total  area  of  the  Cecil  stony  loam  is  comparatively  small.  It 
covers  less  than  8,000  acres  and  is  not  of  great  importance,  although 
the  small  areas  in  cultivation  give  good  results.  It  is  a  good  soil  for 
fruit  growing,  apples  and  peaches  both  doing  well.  The  tree  growth 
on  the  forested  areas  consists  mainly  of  oaks,  pine,  white  pine, 
poplar,  dogwood,  maple,  sourwood,  and  a  little  chestnut.  On  some 
of  the  smoother  areas,  where  the  stones  are  not  too  numerous,  corn 
yields  10  to  40  bushels  per  acre,  wheat  8  to  12  bushels,  and  other 
crops  give  good  yields. 

The  stone  content  of  this  type  makes  it  hard  to  handle.  One-horse 
plows  are  in  general  use.  Fertilizer  is  seldom  used.  This  land  is 
always  sold  in  connection  with  adjoining  soils.  The  same  methods  of 
improvement  are  followed  as  on  the  Cecil  loam. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  797 


CECIL  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  Cecil  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  an  upper  layer  of  gray  to 
yellowish-gray  fine  sandy  loam,  6  to  9  inches  thick,  underlain  by  a 
yellowish-red  or  pale-red  fine  sandy  loam,  passing  at  10  to  15  inches 
into  a  red,  stiff,  though  friable  fine  sandy  clay  to  clay,  which  usually 
extends  to  a  depth  of  several  feet.  The  surface  material  in  places 
varies  in  color  from  light-gray  or  whitish  to  brown  or  grayish  brown. 
The  grayish-brown  and  brown  surface  soil  generally  rests  directly 
upon  the  red-clay  subsoils ;  the  light-gray  soil  has  a  reddish-yellow  to 
pale-red  substratum  passing  gradually  into  the  red  subsoil.  In  other 
places  the  surface  soil  has  a  reddish-brown  or  yellowish-red  color, 
which  is  due  to  a  higher  content  of  clay,  the  soil  being  heavier  than 
the  average.  These  variations  occur  in  small  bodies  scattered 
throughout  the  areas  mapped  as  Cecil  fine  sandy  loam.  Quartz 
gravel  and  small  angular  rock  fragments  appear  on  the  surface  in 
many  places  and  in  a  few  isolated  spots  in  sufficient  quantities  to 
make  a  gravelly  type.  The  spots,  however,  were  not  large  enough  to 
be  mapped  separately.  The  subsoil  usually  contains  some  fine  quartz 
sand  or  gravel,  although  in  some  areas  it  is  practically  free  from  any 
grittiness.  The  subsoil  as  a  rule  contains  finely  divided  mica  flakes 
in  the  lower  depths. 

The  Cecil  fine  sandy  loam,  as  mapped  in  Buncombe  County,  in¬ 
cludes  small  areas  of  Cecil  loam,  Cecil  sandy  loam,  Ashe  fine  sandy 
loam,  and  Appling  fine  sandy  loam.  Separation  of  the  areas  on  a 
map  of  the  scale  used  in  the  survey  is  practically  impossible. 

The  largest  areas  of  this  type  occur  just  north  of  Buenavista,  south 
of  Asheville,  along  the  Swannanoa  River  between  Asheville  and  the 
east  county  boundary,  just  north  and  about  1  mile  south  of  Hominy 
Creek  station,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Weaverville.  Several  bodies  are 
distributed  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county  just  north  of  Cane 
Creek.  Smaller  spots  are  scattered  throughout  the  smoother  parts 
of  the  county. 

The  topography  ranges  from  undulating  and  gently  rolling,  to 
rolling  on  the  low  ridges  and  other  smoother  areas  to  strongly  rolling 
on  some  of  the  slopes.  Both  surface  and  under  drainage  are  well 
established,  owing  to  the  relief  and  to  the  friable  nature  of  the  soil 
and  subsoil. 

The  Cecil  fine  sandy  loam  is  an  important  soil,  and  about  70  per 
cent  of  it  is  in  cultivation.  The  type  is  easy  to  handle  and  responds 
readily  to  good  treatment.  It  is  not  considered  as  productive  for 
wheat,  clover,  and  corn  as  the*  Cecil  clay  loam  but  better  suited  to 
rye,  soy  beans,  sweet  potatoes,  and  all  lands  of  truck  crops.  In 
practice,  the  crops  common  to  this  section  of  the  State  are  grown 
indiscriminately.  Crops  mature  a  little  earlier  on  this  soil  than  on 
the  heavier  soils.  Corn  yields  from  10  to  40  bushels  per  acre,  wheat 
8  to  12  bushels,  rye  15  to  20  bushels,  soy  beans  15- to  25  bushels,  and 
sorghum  60  to  150  gallons  of  sirup  per  acre. 

Fertilizers  are  generally  used  on  this  type.  Wheat  receives  200  to 
400  pounds  of  acid  phosphate  per  acre.  *  The  application  to  corn  is 
less  than  for  wheat  and  other  crops. 

The  Cecil  fine  sandy  loam  sells  for  $60  to  $150  an  acre,  depending 
on  improvements  and  the  nearness  to  towns. 


798  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 


The  type  is  deficient  in  organic  matter,  but  this  can  be  supplied 
readily  at  little  cost  by  growing  cowpeas,  soy  beans,  crimson  clover, 
or  rye,  and  turning  these  under  as  green  manure  or  by  feeding  the 
forage  to  cattle  and  incorporating  the  manure  in  the  soil. 

CECIL  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Cecil  loam  consists  of  an  upper  layer 
3  to  6  inches  thick  of  grayish-brown  to  yellowish-brown  friable  loam 
to  sandy  loam  and  a  lower  layer  of  pale-red  loam  to  clay  loam  with 
a  depth  of  about  10  inches.  The  subsoil  is  a  red,  heavy  but  brittle 
clay,  which  extends  to  a  depth  of  3  feet  or  more.  On  some  of  the 
lower  mountain  slopes,  on  top  of  Spivey  Mountain  and  Deaver 
View,  and  in  other  places  in  the  county  the  surface  soil  is  brown  to 
reddish  brown  and  rests  directly  on  the  red  somewhat  friable  subsoil. 
The  type  usually  contains  some  gravel  and  small  angular  rock  frag¬ 
ments.  The  subsoil  carries  a  considerable  amount  of  mica  flakes. 

The  Cecil  loam  is  the  second  in  extent  of  the  soil  types  found  in 
the  intermountain  plateau.  Large  areas  are  situated  south  of  West 
Asheville  and  Buenavista  on  both  sides  of  the  French  Broad  River 
to  the  Henderson  County  line  and  along  Beaverdam  and  Reems 
Creeks.  Other  smaller  bodies  are  scattered  throughout  the  inter¬ 
mountain  section  and  border  some  of  the  streams  extending  up  into 
the  mountains. 

The  topography  of  this  type  in  the  intermountain  areas  varies  from 
undulating  and  gently  rolling  to  rolling,  as  on  top  of  the  hills  and 
low  mountains,  and  on  the  slopes  of  smaller  valleys  from  strongly 
rolling  to  steep.  Both  surface  and  under  drainage  are  well  estab¬ 
lished.  Owing  to  the  friable  nature  of  both  surface  and  subsoil,  the 
rainfall  is  freely  absorbed,  thus  preventing  surface  wash,  so  that  the 
steepest  slopes  can  be  cultivated  without  great  danger  of  damage  from 
erosion. 

The  Cecil  loam  is  an  important  soil  in  the  agriculture  of  the  county, 
and  about  60  per  cent  of  it  is  cultivated  or  in  use  as  pasture  land.  The 
uncultivated  areas  are  forested  chiefly  with  oaks  of  different  species, 
walnut,  poplar,  maple,  ash,  hickory,  and  several  varieties  of  pine.  A 
few  white  walnut,  or  butternut,  and  chestnut  trees  are  found  on  the 
hills  and  low  mountains. 

Corn  and  wheat  are  the  most  important  crops.  Corn  yields  from 
20  to  40  bushels,  and  wheat  about  10  bushels  per  acre.  Oats,  rye, 
potatoes,  sweet  potatoes,  soy  beans,  peas,  cabbage,  and  all  kinds  of 
vegetables  are  grown  on  this  soil.  Every  farmer  raises  enough  hogs 
to  supply  the  home  with  meat  and  to  have  some  for  sale  in  the  local 
market.  Beef  cattle  are  grazed  and  fattened,  and  a  few  dairies  are 
established  on  the  type. 

This  soil  is  generally  plowed  with  2-horse  turning  plows  and  cul¬ 
tivated  with  walking  and  riding  cultivators.  The  surface  features 
are  such  that  grain  drills  and  other  improved  machinery  can  be  em¬ 
ployed  satisfactorily,  and  equipment  of  this  kind  is  found  on  many 
of  the  farms.  Commercial  fertilizers  are  not  used  generally,  but 
about  200  pounds  per  acre  of  16  per  cent  acid  phosphate  is  applied 
at  the  time  of  sowing  wheat.  Fertilizer  seldom  is  applied  to  corn 
land. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  799 

The  Cecil  loam  sells  for  $30  to  $200  an  acre,  the  price  depending  on 
nearness  of  the  farm  to  towns,  the  situation  with  respect  to  transpor¬ 
tation  facilities,  and  the  state  of  improvement. 

CECIL  CLAY  LOAM. 

The  Cecil  clay  loam,  locally  known  as  “  red  land,”  is  practically 
the  same  as  the  red  soil  mapped  as  Cecil  clay  loam  of  the  Piedmont 
Plateau.  The  surface  soil  in  most  areas  consists  of  3  to  10  inches  of 
red  to  reddish-brown  clay  loam  or  heavy  fine  sandy  clay  loam,  but  in 
places  the  upper  2  or  3  inches  may  consist  of  grayish  or  brownish  fine 
sandy  loam,  with  the  red  heavy  clay  loam  immediately  below.  In 
other  places  where  the  type  is  associated  with  the  Davidson  clay  loam, 
and  in  some  places  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county,  the  surface  soil 
is  a  rich-brown  loam  to  clay  loam.  The  subsoil  is  a  red,  compact, 
heavy  but  brittle  to  crumbly  clay,  which  generally  extends  to  a  depth 
of  several  feet.  It  commonly  carries  some  quartz  sand,  but  occasion¬ 
ally  it  is  a  smooth  clay  free  of  gritty  particles.  The  subsoil  in  local 
spots  scattered  over  the  area  is  yellowish  red  or  reddish  yellow. 

In  general  the  subsoil  contains  some  mica  scales,  and  in  some 
places  the  lower  part  of  the  3-foot  section  contains  a  sufficient  ad¬ 
mixture  of  mica  to  give  it  a  decidedly  greasy  feel.  There  are  a 
few  isolated  spots  of  this  type  that  have  also  a  large  quantity  of 
mica  in  the  surface  soil,  and  had  these  been  large  enough  they 
would  have  been  mapped  as  the  Talladega  clay  loam.  Included 
with  this  type  also  are  small  bodies  of  Cecil  fine  sandy  loam,  Cecil 
clay,  Davidson  clay  loam,  and  Cecil  loam. 

The  Cecil  clay  loam  is  the  second  most  extensive  type  in  the 
county.  It  is  distributed  throughout  the  intermountain  section  and 
occurs  in  narrow  strips  bordering  the  larger  streams  leading  into 
the  mountains.  This  type  is  typically  developed  in  broad  areas  in 
the  vicinity  of  Jupiter,  Leicester,  Asheville,  and  on  both  sides  of 
the  French  Broad  River  in  its  course  through  the  county. 

The  topography  varies  from  gently  rolling  and  strongly  rolling 
to  steep.  The  greater  part  of  it  is  suitably  located  for  agricultural 
use.  Natural  surface  drainage  is  good.  The  run-off  on  the  steeper 
slopes  in  some  places  is  excessive,  and  the  surface  soil  in  many 
places  is  washed  off,  leaving  the  red  clay  exposed.  Internal  drainage 
is  fairly  well  established. 

The  Cecil  clay  loam  is  the  most  extensive  soil  in  the  so-called 
intermountain  plateau  of  Buncombe  County,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
best  and  most  extensively  farmed  upland  soils  in  this  section.  About 
70  per  cent  of  it  is  in  cultivation ;  the  rest  supports  a  forest  growth 
consisting  chiefly  of  white  oak,  red  oak,  black  oak,  white  pine,  yellow 
pine,  hickory,  maple,  dogwood,  and  old  field  pine. 

The  most  important  crops  on  this  soil  are  wheat,  clover,  corn, 
and  oats.  The  yields  of  wheat  range  from  12  to  20  bushels  per 
acre,  corn  15  to  50  bushels,  clover  1  to  2  tons,  and  oats  20  to  35 
bushels.  Sweet  and  Irish  potatoes,  sorghum,  buckwheat,  soy  beans, 
and  all  kinds  of  vegetables  are  among  the  minor  crops.  Near  the 
towns  and  villages  truck  growing  is  carried  on  to  a  considerable 
extent.  A  large  number  of  apple  trees  are  growing  on  this  soil. 


800  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1020. 


The  farm  methods  on  this  soil  include  fall  and  winter  plowing 
with  2-horse  turning  and  3-horse  disk  plows.  A  few  tractors  are  in 
use.  Many  farmers  sow  wheat  after  corn,  the  seed  bed  in  such  cases 
rarely  being  well  prepared. 

Land  of  this  type  ranges  in  price  from  $35  to  $200  an  acre,  depend¬ 
ing  upon  location,  state  of  improvement,  and  proximity  to  towns  and 
transportation  facilities. 

A  good  deal  of  the  Cecil  clay  loam  has  been  depleted  of  its  organic 
matter  and  is  not  in  a  high  state  of  productiveness.  It  is,  never¬ 
theless,  naturally  a  strong  soil  and  capable  of  being  built  up  to  its 
original  condition  by  deeper  plowing,  the  turning  under  of  clover, 
cowpea  vines1,  soy  beans,  and  rye  for  manure.  The  application  of 
barnyard  manure,  if  in  sufficient  supply,  will  accomplish  the  same 
result.  When  organic  material  has  been  supplied,  the  soil  limed,  and 
the  land  thoroughly  prepared  by  plowing  and  repeated  harrowing, 
the  application  of  acid  phosphate  will  give  large  increases  in  crop 
yields. 

CECIL  CLAY. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Cecil  clay  is  a  red  heavy  clay  loam  to  clay, 
with  a  depth  of  4  to  8  inches.  The  subsoil  is  a  bright-red,  heavy, 
stiff,  but  fairly  brittle  clay,  extending  to  a  depth  of  several  feet. 
There  is  some  variation  in  the  type ;  the  immediate  surface  in  places 
consists  of  2  or  3  inches  of  yellowish-brown  to  reddish-brown  loam  to 
clay  loam,  and  in  other  small  areas  of  material  of  the  subsoil,  the 
surface  soil  having  been  washed  away. 

This  is  an  inextensive  and  unimportant  type  occupying  the  slopes 
and  tops  of  some  of  the  hills  in  the  intermountain  section,  where  for 
the  most  part  the  clay  loam  has  been  washed  off.  It  is:  closely  asso¬ 
ciated  with  the  Cecil  clay  loam.  The  largest  body  lies  about  3  miles 
west  of  Biltmore  on  the  V anderbilt  estate.  A  few  other  small  spots 
are  scattered  over  the  central  and  north  central  parts:  of  the  county. 

The  topography  ranges  from  gently  rolling  to  strongly  rolling. 
The  natural  surface  drainage  is  good  and  the  run-off  is  excessive,  in 
some  places  causing  erosion.  The  underdrainage  is  impeded  by  the 
close,  heavy  structure  of  the  subsoil.  On  the  smoother  rolling  areas 
occurring  within  the  Cecil  clay  loam  the  Cecil  clay  is  farmed.  The 
same  crops  are  grown,  and  the  same  methods  of  handling  and  the 
same  kind  of  fertilizer  used.  The  yields  on  the  clay  are  not  as  high 
as  on  the  clay  loam.  As  a  rule,  where  the  type  occurs  in  larger  bodies 
it  is  not  in  a  very  high  state  of  productiveness.  This  type  is  always 
sold  in  connection  with  the  adjoining  soils. 

The  Cecil  clay  needs  deeper  plowing,  liming,  and  the  incorporation 
of  organic  matter.  With  proper  management  it  can  be  brought  to  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  It  is  slightly  more  difficult  to  till  than  the 
clay  loam. 

PORTERS  STONY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Porters  stony  loam  consists  of  a  light- 
brown  to  dark-brown  friable  loam  ranging  in  depth  from  6  to  14 
inches  and  containing  a  considerable  quantity  of  well-decomposed 
organic  matter.  The  subsoil  is  a  yellowish-brown  to  reddish-brown 
friable  loam  to  clay  loam.  Both  the  surface  soil  and  subsoil  con¬ 
tain  from  30  to  60  per  cent  of  mica-schist  fragments,  Roan  gneiss, 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  801 

and  Carolina  gneiss  from  a  few  inches  to  several  feet  in  diameter. 
In  coves  on  the  north  slopes,  where  the  type  grades  into  the  Burton 
stony  loam,  the  surface  soil  is  nearly  black. 

The  Porters  stony  loam  as  mapped  includes  areas  of  Porters  loam, 
Burton  stony  loam,  Ashe  stony  loam,  and  Bough  stony  land,  and  a 
few  small  areas  of  Iiock  outcrop  too  small  to  map.  In  a  few  places 
patches  of  a  soil  having  a  red  to  brownish-red  subsoil  also  are  in¬ 
cluded. 

The  Porters  stony  loam  is  the  most  extensive  soil  type  mapped  in 
Buncombe  County.  It  is  confined  entirely  to  mountainous  parts  and 
is  typically  developed  on  mountain  slopes,  in  most  places  extending 
to  the  top  of  the  mountains.  The  largest  bodies  lie  in  the  south¬ 
western,  western,  eastern,  and  northeastern  parts  of  the  county. 

The  topography  varies  from  rolling  on  the  lower  slopes  through 
very  steep  on  the  mountain  sides  to  gently  rolling  on  the  tops  of 
some  of  the  mountains.  The  drainage  is  excellent.  The  porous  na¬ 
ture  of  the  subsoil  allows  the  rain  water  to  be  absorbed  freely,  so 
that  rather  steep  slopes  can  be  cultivated  with  little  danger  of 
erosion. 

The  Porters  stony  loam  is  a  large  and  important  type,  although 
only  a  small  proportion  of  it  is  in  cultivation.  The  steepest  slopes 
are  almost  entirely  occupied  by  forest  consisting  of  chestnut,  chest¬ 
nut  oak,  poplar,  spruce,  hemlock,  sugar  maple,  buckeye,  red,  white, 
and  black  oak,  ash,  and  a  few  white  walnuts.  Some  rather  large 
areas  are  cleared  and  used  for  pasture  and  general  farming.  Its 
principal  use  is  for  stock  raising  and  fruit  growing.  Orchards  are 
generally  located  in  coves  and  on  slopes  with  northern  and  western 
exposures,  although  there  are  a  few  orchards  on  the  tops  of  some  of 
the  lower  mountains. 

Corn,  wheat,  oats,  and  potatoes  are  the  main  crops.  Cabbage,  buck¬ 
wheat,  turnips,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables  do  well.  Cattle  raising 
is  the  chief  industry.  A  few  small  dairies  are  located  on  this  type ; 
nearly  every  farmer  keeps  one  or  more  milk  cows,  and  some  sell  but¬ 
ter  in  the  local  markets. 

Corn,  the  most  important  farm  crop,  yields  from  20  to  50  bushels 
per  acre  without  the  use  of  fertilizer;  wheat  on  the  lower  slopes  and 
on  areas  of  smoother  topography  produces  from  9  to  18  bushels; 
oats,  from  20  to  40  bushels;  and  Irish  potatoes,  from  75  to  200 
bushels. 

Shallow  breaking  with  hillside  plows  is  the  general  practice,  and 
small  plows  are  used  for  cultivation.  The  soil  is  mellow  and  does 
not  require  deep  plowing.  Large  plows  and  machinery  can  not  be 
used  on  account  of  the  generally  steep  topography  and  the  abundance 
of  loose  rocks  scattered  over  the  surface  and  mixed  with  the  soil  mass. 
These  stones  hinder  cultivation  to  a  certain  extent.  Fertilizer  is  not 
used  on  this  type,  except  for  orchards  and  potatoes. 

The  Porters  stony  loam  ranges  in  price  from  $10  to  $50  an  acre, 
depending  mostly  on  its  location,  topography,  and  accessibility  to 
roads. 

PORTERS  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Porters  loam  consists  of  a  brown  to  dark- 
brown,  mellow,  friable  loam  7  to  15  inches  deep.  The  subsoil  is  a 
yellowish-brown  to  reddish-brown  friable  clay  loam  to  sandy  clay 


802  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 


extending  to  a  depth  of  20  to  36  inches,  where  it  commonly  rests  upon 
bedrock.  In  some  places  there  is  no  subsoil,  the  surface  soil  resting 
directly  on  rock.  The  subsoil  is  usually  porous  and  friable,  especially 
where  the  type  grades  into  the  Burton  stony  loam  and  in  coves  on 
northern  slopes.  In  such  areas  the  surface  soil  is  very  dark  brown 
and  the  subsoil  is  a  brownish-yellow  to  yellowish-brown  friable  loam 
to  clay  loam.  Along  the  slopes  of  the  mountains  the  soil  is  a  lighter 
brown  and  the  subsoil  becomes  a  reddish-brown  to  pale-red  or  orange 
color.  In  other  places  on  the  tops  of  mountains  the  subsoil  resembles 
that  of  the  Ashe  soils.  The  slopes  on  the  north  side  of  Sandymush 
Creek  include  some  sandy  material,  and  other  spots  have  consider¬ 
able  sand  in  both  soil  and  subsoil.  It  is  not  infrequent  for  the  dis¬ 
integrated  bedrock  to  appear  at  any  depth  between  18  and  30  inches. 
The  Porters  loam  as  mapped  includes  small  bodies  of  Burton  stony 
loam,  Burton  loam,  Ashe  loam,  Ashe  stony  loam,  and  Porters  stony 
loam  too  small  to  map. 

The  Porters  loam  is  the  most  extensive  cultivable  soil  type  in  the 
mountain  region  of  Buncombe  County.  It  is  developed  along  the 
slopes,  in  the  gaps,  and  on  the  tops  of  the  low  mountains,  and  occa¬ 
sionally  on  the  tops  of  the  higher  mountains.  The  largest  areas  lie 
in  the  Barnardsville  section,  east  of  Stocksville,  on  Sunset,  Britten, 
and  Hamburg  Mountains,  and  scattered  in  small  patches  throughout 
the  mountainous  sections  in  the  western  and  northwestern  parts  of 
the  county. 

The  topography  ranges  from  gently  rolling  on  the  mountain  tops 
and  in  the  gaps  to  strongly  hilly  and  steep  on  the  mountain  slopes. 
The  natural  drainage  is  excellent,  owing  to  the  sloping  surface,  the 
friable  nature  of  the  surface  soil,  and  the  porous  condition  of  the 
subsoil,  which  allows  the  rain  water  to  enter  freely. 

This  type  is  an  important  soil,  although  but  a  small  proportion  is 
in  cultivation.  The  mountain  tops  and  gaps  include  in  places  small 
cleared  fields  used  chiefly  for  grazing;  the  slopes  are  used  for  pasture 
and  general  farming. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Porters  loam  is  forested,  principally  with 
chestnut,  white  oak,  red  oak,  black  oak,  pine,  maple,  buckeye,  poplar, 
hickory,  and  spruce.  In  this  forest  there  is  an  undergrowth  con¬ 
sisting  largely  of  rhododendron  and  azalea. 

Corn  and  potatoes  are  the  chief  crops.  Oats,  wheat,  rye,  and  cab¬ 
bage  also  do  well.  Fruit  growing  and  cattle  raising  are,  however, 
the  principal  sources  of  income.  Vegetables  are  grown  mostly  for 
home  use.  Corn  yields  from  20  to  40  bushels,  and  Irish  potatoes 
from  60  to  200  bushels  per  acre.  Oats,  wheat,  and  all  kinds  of  vege¬ 
tables  give  good  yields. 

The  methods  of  handling  this  soil  are  essentially  the  same  as  on 
the  Porters  stony  loam.  Fertilizer  is  seldom  used  for  any  field  crop 
except  potatoes.  The  orchards  are  fertilized. 

Land  values  of  the  Porters  loam  range  from  $20  to  $150  an  acre, 
depending  mostly  on  the  location  and  the  topography. 

The  Porters  loam  and  Porters  stony  loam  yield  to  the  same  treat¬ 
ment.  They  are  the  best  cattle-raising  and  fruit-growing  soils  in 
Buncombe  County.  Apples  produced  on  this  t}^pe  are  especially  fine 
flavored,  and  there  are  great  possibilities  for  the  fruit  grower  in  this 
section. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OE  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  803 

ASHE  STONY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Ashe  stony  loam  consists  of  grayish-brown, 
yellowish-brown,  or  light-brown  friable  loam  to  sandy  loam  7  to  9 
inches  deep,  upon  the  surface  of  which  are  scattered  an  abundance 
of  loose  rocks,  mainly  angular  gneiss  fragments,  ranging  in  size  from 
pieces  3  or  4  inches  in  diameter  to  large  bowlders.  The  subsoil  is  a 
friable  sandy  clay  loam  to  fine  sandy  clay,  varying  in  color  from 
light  grayish  yellow  through  yellow  to  brownish  yellow.  In  some 
places  the  first  inch  or  two  is  brown  to  nearly  black,  owing  to  the 
accumulation  of  organic  matter.  Bedrock  is  reached  at  a  depth  of 
20  to  30  inches.  Both  the  soil  and  subsoil  contain  a  considerable 
quantity  of  mica  flakes.  As  mapped  the  type  includes  a  few  small 
spots  of  Ashe  loam. 

The  Ashe  stony  loam  occurs  mainly  on  the  tops  and  on  the  slopes 
near  the  tops  of  the  mountains  and  ridges,  the  areas  being  scattered 
throughout  the  mountainous  sections  of  the  county.  The  largest 
areas  lie  near  Barnardsville,  around  the  head  of  Keems  Creek,  and  in 
the  southern  part  along  the  Henderson  County  line. 

Owing  to  the  general  roughness  of  the  surface  and  the  friable 
nature  of  the  subsoil,  this  type  has  thorough  drainage. 

The  Ashe  stony  loam  is  not  an  extensive  soil  and  is  unimportant 
agriculturally.  The  cleared  areas  are  used  chiefly  for  pasture. 
A  few  patches  are  used  for  corn  or  oats,  with  yields  about  the  same 
as  on  the  Porters  stony  loam.  This  tj^pe  is  never  sold  by  itself.  It 
is  best  suited  to  forestry,  and  nearly  all  of  it  is  now  in  a  mixed  forest 
of  oak,  chestnut,  poplar,  hemlock,  and  spruce. 

ASHE  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Ashe  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  gray  fine  sandy 
loam,  with  a  depth  of  3  to  8  inches,  passing  into  a  light-yellow 
friable  fine  sandy  loam,  which  extends  to  a  depth  of  12  to  18  inches. 
This  is  underlain  by  a  yellow  friable  fine  sandy  clay  subsoil,  which 
in  many  places  is  marked  with  gray  or  reddish  mottling  at  depths 
of  24  to  36  inches.  In  some  places  in  forested  areas  the  upper  inch 
or  two  of  material  has  a  dark-gray  color,  due  to  the  admixture  of 
relatively  large  quantities  of  organic  matter.  Small  spots  of  Ashe 
loam,  sandy  loam,  coarse  sandy  loam,  Appling  fine  sandy  loam,  and 
Porters  fine  sandy  loam,  too  small  to  be  shown  on  the  map,  are 
included  with  this  type.  The  spots  of  loam  are  somewhat  more 
numerous  than  the  other  soils. 

All  the  Ashe  fine  sandy  loam  in  the  area  is  included  in  a  few  small 
bodies.  The  largest  of  these  occur  in  the  vicinity  of  Liberty  Church, 
on  top  of  Burney  Mountain.  Two  small  areas  lie  near  Inanda  and 
isolated  spots  in  other  places  in  the  county. 

The  surface  over  most  of  this  type  varies  from  almost  level  to 
undulating  or  rolling;  in  a  few  places  it  is  strongly  rolling  to  steep. 
Surface  and  internal  drainage  are  well  established. 

The  Ashe  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  type  of  small  extent  in  Buncombe 
County,  but  is  of  considerable  importance  in  the  mountain  sections. 
The  greater  part  of  it  is  under  cultivation;  the  rest  supports  a 
forest  consisting  chiefly  of  different  species  of  oaks,  dogwood,  poplar, 
maple,  pine,  hickory,  and  persimmon. 


804  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 

Corn,  wheat,  and  oats  are  the  most  extensively  grown  crops.  Soy 
beans,  rye,  potatoes,  watermelons,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables  are 
successfully  grown.  Corn  yields  from  15  to  30  bushels  per  acre, 
wheat  8  to  15  bushels,  and  oats  12  to  30  bushels. 

The  Buncombe  County  State  Test  Farm  at  Swannanoa  carries  on 
some  experiments  on  a  small  patch  of  this  soil,  and  the  crop  yields 
compare  favorably  with  those  on  the  adjoining  Cecil  fine  sandy 
loam.  The  farm  practice  is  practically  the  same  as  on  the  Porters 
fine  sandy  loam.  The  two  types  bring  about  the  same  price. 

The  Ashe  fine  sandy  loam  is  deficient  in  organic  matter,  which 
can  be  supplied  most  economically  by  turning  under  soy  beans,  rye, 
crimson  clover,  or  cowpea  vines. 

The  table  below  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  samples 
of  the  soil,  subsurface,  and  subsoil  of  the  Ashe  fine  sandy  loam : 

Mechanical  analyses  of  Ashe  fine  sandy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 

gravel. 

Coarse 

sand. 

Medium 

sand. 

Fine 

sand. 

Very  fine 
sand. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent. 

Per  cent. 

235930 . 

Soil,  0  to  3 inches. . 

2.9 

6.9 

6.4 

32.0 

14.9 

29.2 

7.8 

235931 . 

Subsurface,  3  to  14 
inches. 

1.6 

6.4 

5.9 

27.8 

12.5 

29.2 

16.6 

235932 . 

Subsoil,  14  to  30 
inches. 

.8 

4.6 

4.8 

24.2 

11.2 

22.9 

31.5 

BURTON  STONY  LOAM. 

The  surface  of  the  Burton  stony  loam  varies  from  a  dark  grayish 
brown  to  black  friable  loam,  containing  a  relatively  large  proportion 
of  well-decomposed  organic  matter  and  ranging  in  depth  from  8  to 
15  inches.  In  some  of  the  northward- facing  coves  in  poorly  drained 
spots  it  approximates  muck.  As  it  grades  into  the  Porters  soils  the 
proportion  of  organic  matter  becomes  less  and  the  color  changes  to 
a  rich  brown.  The  subsoil  is  prevailingly  a  brown  to  yellowish- 
brown  friable  loam  to  clay  loam,  which  seldom  extends  to  a  depth 
of  3  feet,  being  underlain  in  most  places  by  bedrock  at  15  to  30  inches. 
Occasionally  the  black  surface  soils  rest  directly  on  the  bedrock. 
Scattered  over  the  surface  and  mixed  with  both  soil  and  subsoil  are 
angular  fragments  of  gneiss  and  schist,  and  there  are  many  outcrops 
of  ledges  of  these  rocks,  the  Burton  stony  loam  in  some  places  grad¬ 
ing  into  Rough  stony  land. 

The  Burton  stony  loam  is  developed  almost  entirely  in  the  north¬ 
eastern  part  of  the  county.  One  body  is  mapped  on  the  Pisgah 
Ridge  in  the  southwestern  part  and  another  on  Sandymush  Bald  in 
the  northwestern  part.  It  occurs  on  the  tops  or  near  the  tops  of  the 
highest  mountains,  chiefly  on  the  northern  and  northwestern  slopes. 
The  topography  ranges  from  gently  rolling  on  the  tops  of  the  moun¬ 
tains  to  strongly  rolling  to  steep  and  rough  on  the  slopes.  The  areas 
are  well  drained. 

This  is  a  productive  soil,  though  it  is  not  used  for  general  farming 
purposes,  as  its  location  makes  it  almost  inaccessible  except  at  great 
cost  for  building  roads.  Its  principal  use  aside  from  forestry  is  for 
grazing,  and  it  is  considered  the  best  soil  in  the  county  for  stock 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  805 

raising,  as  grasses  thrive  upon  this  soil  when  cleared.  Corn  and 
potatoes  do  well  in  the  few  smooth  areas  that  have  been  placed  under 
cultivation. 

A  very  small  percentage  of  this  type  is  cleared.  The  forest  is  char¬ 
acterized  by  such  species  as  sugar  maple,  buckeye,  chestnut,  chestnut 
oak,  red  oak,  black  oak,  poplar,  spruce,  and  balsam. 

Land  of  this  type  sells  at  $10  to  $50  an  acre,  depending  on  the 
forest  growth,  topography,  and  accessibility. 

DAVIDSON  CLAY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Davidson  clay  loam  is  a  brownish-red  to 
dark-red  clay  loam  6  to  10  inches  deep.  The  subsoil  is  a  dark-red  or 
maroon-red  heavy  smooth  clay,  carrying  a  few  small  soft  iron  con¬ 
cretions.  Along  the  line  of  contact  with  the  Iredell  soils  fine  rock 
fragments  or  partially  disintegrated  diorite  and  gabbro-diorite  rocks 
and  sometimes  iron  concretions  occur  on  the  surface.  In  the  north¬ 
ern  part  of  the  count}7,  around  Grantville,  the  surface  carries  con¬ 
siderable  quantities  of  sand  and  small  gravel,  probably  the  result  of 
the  incomplete  disintegration  of  hornblendic  gneiss  of  the  Roan 
gneiss  formation,  from  which  the  adjoining  Cecil  clay  loam  soil  is 
derived. 

There  are  only  two  important  bodies  of  the  Davidson  clay  loam  in 
Buncombe  County.  The  largest  and  most  typically  developed  area 
occurs  west  of  Alexander;  the  other  is  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
county  around  Grantville.  A  few  other  small  spots  are  found  in  the 
area. 

The  topography  varies  from  gently  rolling  to  strongly  rolling. 
The  natural  surface  drainage  is  good,  but  owing  to  the  heavy  struc¬ 
ture  of  the  subsoil  water  percolates  slowly  and  subdrainage  is  some¬ 
what  deficient.  The  type  does  not  erode  easily  and  suffers  very 
little  damage  from  heavy  rains. 

The  Davidson  clay  loam  is  not  extensive  in  the  county  but  is  an 
important  soil  for  general  farming.  It  is  considered  the  strongest 
upland  soil  of  this  section,  and  the  greater  part  of  it  is  in  cultivation. 
The  forest  growth  on  the  uncultivated  areas  consists  chiefly  of  hick¬ 
ory,  oaks,  dogwood,  pine,  poplar,  and  cedar. 

Wheat,  clover,  and  corn  are  the  main  crops,  and  soy  beans,  cow- 
peas,  potatoes,  sweet  potatoes,  and  all  kinds  of  vegetables  are  minor1 
crops.  Wheat  yields  15  to  30  bushels  per  acre,  clover  1  to  3  tons, 
and  corn  20  to  50  bushels. 

All  this  type  is  used  or  can  be  used  advantageously  for  farming  or 
for  pastures.  The  soil  is  handled  in  the  same  way  as  the  Cecil  clay 
loam.  Acid  phosphate  is  the  fertilizer  used  almost  exclusively  for  all 
crops.  Wheat  receives  an  application  of  200  to  300  pounds  per 
acre;  smaller  quantities  are  used  for  corn.  A  little  lime  is  some¬ 
times  applied  to  fields  intended  for  clover. 

This  type  of  soil  sells  at  $75  to  $150  an  acre,  depending  on  the 
state  of  improvements  and  the  transportation  facilities. 

The  Davidson  clay  loam  is  a  very  strong  soil  and  can  be  built  up 
to  a  high  state  of  productiveness  by  the  incorporation  of  organic 
matter,  deeper  plowing,  and  the  addition  of  lime. 


806  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 


IREDELL  STONY  LOAM. 

The  Iredell  stony  loam  to  a  depth  of  8  to  12  inches  consists  of  a 
dark-gray  to  grayish-brown  mellow  loam,  drying  out  to  a  gray  or 
a  brownish  gray,  underlain  by  a  subsoil  of  dingy-yellow  to  dull- 
brown  or  drab,  tough,  waxy,  plastic  clay.  The  subsoil  varies  locally 
from  a  yellowish  to  a  reddish  brown,  the  reddish  color  occurring 
where  the  type  grades  into  the  Davidson  clay  loam.  The  subsoil 
usually  grades  into  the  decayed  or  disintegrated  diorite  rock  at  any¬ 
where  from  20  to  30  inches.  Diorite  fragments  are  abundant  on  the 
surface  and  throughout  the  soil  mass. 

This  type  is  of  a  very  small  extent.  A  few  spots  of  Iredell  fine 
sandy  loam  and  Davidson  clay  loam,  too>  small  to  be  shown  sep¬ 
arately,  are  included  with  it.  Also  some  small  areas  of  stone-free 
soil,  which  really  represent  the  loam  of  the  series,  have  been  in¬ 
cluded  with  the  Iredell  stony  loam  on  account  of  their  small  extent. 

The  type  occurs  on  well-rounded  knolls.  Surface  drainage  is 
usually  good,  but,  owing  to  the  impervious  structure  of  the  subsoil, 
underdrainage  is  imperfect. 

Very  little  of  this  land  is  farmed.  The  cultivated  areas  are  used 
chiefly  for  wheat,  oats,  clover,  and  corn,  of  which  fairly  good  yields 
are  obtained.  The  forest  growth  consists  of  small  oaks,  hickory, 
dogwood,  and  old  field  pine. 

WILKES  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Wilkes  sandy  loam  consists  of  two  layers, 
an  upper  one  of  gray  to  grayish-brown  coarse  sandy  loam  to  fine 
sandy  loam,  and  a  lower  one  of  pale  yellow  or  yellow  and  gray,  mot¬ 
tled  with  brown,  compact  sandy  loam.  The  combined  thickness  of 
these  layers  is  6  to  18  inches.  The  subsoil,  which  is  encountered  at 
depths  between  7  and  18  inches,  is  a  mottled  reddish-brown  and 
dingy-yellow,  friable  or  plastic  clay,  or  a  yellow  and  gray  sandy 
clay  or  sticky  clay.  As  may  be  seen  from  the  above  description,  this 
type  of  soil  varies  greatly  in  color,  texture,  and  structure.  It  in¬ 
cludes  areas  of  Appling,  Cecil,  Davidson,  and  small  intrusions  of 
Iredell  material.  In  places  the  range  in  texture  varies  from  a 
gravelly  sandy  loam  to  a  fine  sandy  loam;  in  other  places  it  is 
nothing  more  than  a  partially  disintegrated  hornblendic  gneiss  of 
the  Roan  gneiss  formation,  with  dikes  of  gabbro  diorite  and  aplitic 
granite.  The  Wilkes  sandy  loam  thus  represents  more  a  soil  con¬ 
dition  than  a  soil  type. 

Practically  all  of  this  soil  lies  along  the  breaks  bordering  the 
streams  in  the  north-central  part  of  the  county.  The  largest  areas 
occur  on  both  sides  of  the  French  Broad  River  in  a  broken  belt  from 
the  vicinity  of  Olivette  to  the  Madison  County  line. 

The  greater  part  of  this  type  occupies  the  steeper  and  rougher 
slopes  in  the  intermountain  plateau  region.  The  topography  ranges 
from  rolling  to  steep  and  broken.  Natural  surface  drainage  is  good, 
and  on  the  steeper  slopes  the  run-off  is  excessive,  causing  erosion,  but 
in  spots  in  the  rolling  areas  where  the  subsoil  is  a  plastic  clay  the 
underdrainage  is  poor. 

The  smoother  areas  are  considered  good  land  for  general  agricul¬ 
ture.  Probably  20  per  cent  of  the  type  is  under  cultivation ;  the  rest 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  807 


supports  a  forest  consisting  chiefly  of  hickory,  oak,  maple,  persim¬ 
mon,  and  old  field  pine.  Corn,  wheat,  and  sorghum  are  the  principal 
crops.  Oats,  tobacco,  sweet  potatoes,  watermelons,  and  all  kinds  of 
vegetables  do  well.  Corn  yields  from  10  to  30  bushels  per  acre,  wheat 
8  to  10  bushels,  and  sorghum  40  to  100  gallons  of  sirup. 

The  farm  practice  on  this  type  is  practically  the  same  as  on  the 
adjoining  soils.  Where  areas  are  sold  separately  the  price  ranges 
from  $20  to  $40  an  acre. 

More  care  should  be  taken  with  this  soil,  as  it  erodes  very  easily. 
Deeper  plowing  and  the  planting  of  winter  cover  crops  and  grasses 
would  prevent  erosion  to  a  certain  extent.  The  smoother  areas  can 
be  built  up  and  made  to  produce  good  yields  of  various  crops  now 
grown  in  this  part  of  North  Carolina. 

APPLING  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Appling  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  gray  to 
brownish-gray  fine  to  medium  sandy  loam,  passing  at  6  to  10  inches 
into  pale-yellow  compact  fine  sandy  loam,  carrying  some  quartz 
gravel,  which  extends  to  a  depth  of  15  inches.  The  subsoil  is  for  the 
most  part  a  mottled  yellow,  brown,  and  red,  heavy,  fine  sandy  clay, 
but  in  many  places  a  heavy,  almost  plastic  clay,  yellowish  red  or 
brown  in  color,  appears  within  the  3- foot  section.  The  type  in  this 
county  differs  somewhat  from  the  type  as  mapped  in  other  areas. 

The  Appling  fine  sandy  loam  occurs  in  small  bodies  throughout 
the  intermountain  basin,  usually  along  the  heads  of  the  small  streams 
and  branches,  in  the  gaps  in  the  low  ridges  between  the  heads  of 
watercourses,  and  along  the  slopes  near  the  small  branches  and  creeks. 
The  largest  body  lies  in  a  low  gap  around  Arden.  The  topography 
varies  from  almost  level  to  undulating  and  rolling.  The  drainage  is 
for  the  most  part  good,  though  imperfect  in  some  of  the  more  level 
spots. 

The  type  has  a  small  total  area  in  the  county  and  therefore  is  not 
very  important  for  farming,  although  most  of  it  is  in  cultivation. 
The  native  forest  consists  chiefly  of  oak,  old  field  pine,  maple,  poplar, 
persimmon,  and  dogwood.  Corn  and  wheat  are  the  main  crops. 
Rye,  soy  beans,  and  vegetables  do  well  on  this  soil.  The  crop  yields, 
methods  of  handling,  fertilization,  and  land  values  are  the  same  as 
on  the  associated  soils. 

ALTAVISTA  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  Altavista  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of  6  to  9  inches  of  a 
brownisli-gray  to  yellowish-gray  fine  to  very  fine  sandy  loam,  under¬ 
lain  by  a  subsoil  of  yellow  friable  fine  sandy  clay.  In  places  the  sub¬ 
soil  has  a  yellowish-red  color,  and  in  some  places  becomes  heavy  in 
the  lower  part.  The  surface  soil  varies  in  color  from  light  gray  to 
brown  and  in  texture  from  fine  sandy  loam  to  sandy  loam.  The 
small  area  2J  miles  southeast  of  Barnardsville  has  a  grayish-brown 
surface  soil  and  a  brownish-yellow  subsoil.  Along  Cane  Creek  the 
soil  is  a  light-gray  very  fine  sandy  loam  to  sandy  loam.  In  places 
water-rounded  quartz  bowlders  and  gravel  are  encountered  within 
the  3-foot  section. 


808  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 


The  Altavista  fine  sandy  loam  occurs  on  second  bottoms  or  ter¬ 
races,  where  it  was  deposited  before  the  streams  had  cut  down  to 
their  present  level.  It  is  above  the  normal  overflow  of  the  streams. 
This  type  occupies  a  small  acreage  in  the  county.  The  largest  bodies 
lie  along  Cane  Creek  and  Swannanoa  River.  Another  area  occurs 
along  Dillingham  Creek  2\  miles  southeast  of  Barnardsville,  and  a 
few  small  areas  lie  in  other  parts  of  the  county.  The  surface  is 
nearly  level  to  gently  rolling,  and,  owing  to  the  friable  nature  of 
both  surface  soil  and  subsoil,  drainage  is  well  established. 

This  type,  although  inextensive,  is  an  important  soil,  practically 
all  of  it  being  in  cultivation.  Corn,  wheat,  and  soy  beans  are  the 
chief  crops.  Sorghum,  rye,  peas,  crimson  clover,  potatoes,  and  all 
kinds  of  vegetables  do  well.  Corn  }delds  from  20  to  40  bushels  per 
acre,  wheat  9  to  12  bushels,  and  soy  beans  about  15  bushels. 

The  Altavista  fine  sandy  loam  is  handled  in  the  same  way  as  the 
Congaree  soils,  but  generally  receives  a  light  application  of  16  per 
cent  acid  phosphate  as  a  fertilizer.  This  type  is  always  sold  in  con¬ 
nection  with  the  adjoining  soil. 

TOXAWAY  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Toxaway  loam  consists  of  6  to  10  inches  of 
dark-gray  to  black  mellow  loam  or  silt  loam,  the  color  depending  on 
the  content  of  organic  matter.  The  surface  soil  is  underlain  by  a 
layer  8  to  16  inches  thick,  of  the  same  color  as  the  overlying  material 
but  usually  of  a  silty  clay  loam  texture.  In  places  the  soil  is  a  dark- 
brown  silt  loam,  especially  where  it  is  associated  with  the  Congaree 
silt  loam.  The  lower  subsoil  varies  from  dark  grayish  brown  to 
gray  and  brown  mottled  loam  to  clay.  In  some  places  the  upper 
subsoil  is  a  dark-brown  loam,  which  grades  dowm  into  a  brownish- 
yellow  silty  clay. 

This  type  covers  only  a  small  area  in  Buncombe  County.  An  area 
lying  along  the  French  Broad  River  near  Buck  Shoals  and  others 
near  Swannanoa  on  the  Swannanoa  River  are  among  the  largest 
mapped. 

The  Toxaway  loam  occupies  level  or  gently  sloping  bottoms  along 
the  streams,  generally  in  association  with  the  Congaree  soils.  It  is 
subject  to  overflow  from  the  streams  in  time  of  heavy  rains,  and 
crops  are  occasionally  damaged  to  some  extent.  Artificial  drainage 
is  necessary  to  fit  the  land  for  cultivation. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Toxaway  loam  is  in  cultivation  or  in  pas¬ 
ture.  It  is  naturally  productive,  but  requires  lime  for  best  results. 
The  crops  grown  and  the  yields  are  about  the  same  as  on  the  Con¬ 
garee  silt  loam,  and  the  same  methods  of  farming  are  practiced.  It 
is  always  sold  in  conjunction  with  the  Congaree  types. 

CONGAREE  FINE  SANDY  LOAM. 

The  Congaree  fine  sandy  loam  is  a  light-brown  to  brown  fine  sandy 
loam,  from  10  to  18  inches  deep,  underlain  by  a  yellowish-browm  to 
brown  fine  sandy  loam,  silt  loam,  or  silty^  clay  loam,  mottled  with 
brown  and  gray  in  the  lower  part  of  the  3-foot  section.  Scattered 
throughout  this  soil  are  small  areas  and  narrow  bands  of  loamy  fine 
sand  and  brown  gravelly  sand  or  sandy  loam.  Spots  of  dark-brown 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  809 

loam  to  silt  loam  occur  in  a  few  places  where  the  finer  sediments 
have  accumulated.  In  such  areas,  which  are  generally  found  nearer 
the  uplands,  there  is  more  organic  matter.  Both  soil  and  subsoil 
contain  considerable  quantities  of  finely  divided  mica. 

The  Congaree  fine  sandy  loam  normally  lies  nearest  to  the  streams, 
and  as  a  rule  there  are  narrow  strips  and  spots  of  Congaree  silt  loam 
lying  between  the  fine  sandy  loam  and  the  uplands.  In  most  places 
the  type  is  too  small  to  be  shown  on  the  map,  and  as  mapped  it  in¬ 
cludes  small  areas  of  Congaree  silt  loam,  Toxaway  loam,  Congaree 
stony  fine  sandy  loam,  and  fine  sand. 

This  type  is  a  first-bottom  soil  occurring  in  narrow  strips  along  the 
streams  throughout  the  county.  Its  surface  is  generally  level,  but 
in  some  places,  especially  along  the  Swannanoa  River,  the  floods  have 
eroded  the  land  and  formed  temporary  channels  and  small  ridges. 
The  type  is  subject  to  frequent  overflow  following  heavy  rains,  but 
otherwise  the  drainage  is  generally  good. 

The  Congaree  fine  sandy  loam  in  this  county  has  a  small  total  area, 
but  it  is  nevertheless  an  important  soil.  The  greater  part  of  it  is 
under  cultivation  or  used  for  pasture.  It  is  an  excellent  soil  for  the 
production  of  corn,  the  yields  ranging  from  20  to  50  bushels  per  acre. 
Oats,  wheat,  soy  beans,  and  crimson  clover  do  well.  Watermelons, 
potatoes,  sorghum,  rye,  and  truck  crops  also  are  grown  with  good 
results.  Commercial  fertilizer  is  seldom  used  for  corn,  but  wheat 
commonly  receives  applications  of  16  per  cent  acid  phosphate  at  the 
rate  of  100  to  200  pounds  per  acre.  A  complete  fertilizer  mixture, 
analyzing  8-2-2  or  8-3-3,  is  used  for  potatoes.  This  type,  where  it 
occurs  in  sufficiently  large  areas  to  be  sold  by  itself,  brings  from  $50 
to  $200  an  acre, 

CONGAREE  SILT  LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Congaree  silt  loam  consists  of  8  to  18  inches 
of  brown  silt  loam.  The  subsoil  is  a  chocolate-brown  to  yellowish- 
brown  silty  clay  loam  to  silty  clay,  extending  to  a  depth  of  3  feet  or 
more.  Both  soil  and  subsoil  contain  finely  divided  mica  flakes  in 
sufficient  quantities  to  give  a  greasy  feel.  In  places  where  the  colllu- 
vial  wash  from  the  clay  loam  soils  is  mixed  with  the  alluvial  soil 
the  surface  is  a  reddish-brown  silty  clay  loam.  As  mapped  the 
type  includes  spots  of  Toxaway  loam,  Congaree  silty  clay  loam,  and 
narrow  strips  of  Congaree  fine  sandy  loam  usually  lying  immediately 
along  the  streams.  These  areas  were  not  of  sufficient  size  to  warrant 
separate  mapping. 

The  Congaree  silt  loam  is  developed  along  the  French  Broad 
River,  Swannanoa  River,  the  North  Fork  of  Swannanoa  River,  and 
Cane,  Newfound,  and  Flat  Crgeks.  It  lies  also  along  a  number  of  the 
smaller  streams  in  various  parts  of  the  county. 

The  topography  is  generally  flat  or  almost  level  with  a  gradual 
slope  toward  the  stream  courses  and  in  the  direction  of  the  flow.  Oc¬ 
casional  swales  or  depressions  occur.  The  Congaree  silt  loam  usually 
lying  next  to  hills  or  uplands  is  slightly  lower  than  the  strips  of  fine 
sandy  loam  bordering  the  streams,  but  is  generally  well  drained  ex¬ 
cept  in  places  along  Cane  Creek  and  some  small  spots  in  other  places 

in  the  county.  . 

The  Congaree  silt  loam  is  the  most  productive  soil  m  the  county, 

especially  for  corn  and  hay.  It  is  nearly  all  in  cultivation.  Corn 


810  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920 

yields  from  30  to  60  bushels  per  acre  without  the  use  of  fertilizers. 
Oats  and  wheat  are  important  crops,  oats  yielding  from  15  to  30 
bushels  per  acre,  and  wheat  from  9  to  15  bushels. 

Land  of  this  type  brings  the  highest  prices  of  any  type  in  the 
county.  Prices  range  from  $100  to  $200  an  acre,  varying  with  the 
drainage  conditions,  nearness  to  shipping  points,  and  state  of  produc¬ 
tiveness.  Small  areas  are,  however,  generally  sold  in  connection  with 
the  adjoining  uplands,  and  the  price  then  depends  a  great  deal  on  the 
quality  of  the  upland  soils. 

Owing  to  the  high  natural  productiveness  of  the  type,  which  is 
maintained  by  the  continual  deposition  of  fresh  sediments,  fertilizers 
are  seldom  used  on  the  Congaree  silt  loam.  The  use  of  lime  on  this 
soil  will,  however,  be  found  beneficial. 

MEADOW  (CONGAREE  MATERIAL). 

The  few  small  strips  of  soil  mapped  as  Meadow  (Congaree  mate¬ 
rial)  vary  greatly  in  color  and  texture.  Over  the  greater  part  of 
areas  the  soil  consists  of  a  brown  fine  sand,  fine  sandy  loam,  or 
gravelly  and  stony  fine  sand,  the  fine  earth  containing  a  high  per¬ 
centage  of  micaceous  material.  In  some  places  where  semiswampy 
conditions  prevail  the  material  is  a  dark  mucky  loam.  The  subsoil 
varies  from  a  mere  gravel  bed  to  material  of  loamy  sand  to  sticky 
clay  texture. 

Only  small  bodies  of  this  soil  are  mapped,  chiefly  along  the  Swan- 
nanoa  River,  and  Dillinghams  and  Carters  Creeks.  The  greater  part 
of  it  is  poorly  drained.  It  is  not  a  productive  soil  for  farming,  but 
supports  a  growth  of  wild  grasses  which  afford  excellent  summer  pas¬ 
turage. 

Included  with  Meadow  (Congaree  material)  are  a  few  strips  of 
Riverwash,  consisting  of  sand,  gravel,  and  small  stones  brought 
down  from  the  mountains.  Such  areas  are  practically  nonagricul- 
tural,  but  supply  a  little  grazing.  Perhaps  a  few  spots  could  be  used 
in  growing  sorghum  or  corn.  The  largest  strip  is  found  along  Stony 
Fork  Creek  in  the  southwestern  corner  of  the  county. 

ROUGH  STONY  LAND. 

The  land  mapped  as  Rough  stony  land  is  composed  of  steep 
mountain  slopes  or  of  rough  areas  strewn  with  large  bowlders  and 
cut  with  numerous  outcropping  ledges  of  rock. 

Such  areas  occur  in  all  of  the  mountainous  sections  of  the  county, 
but  the  largest  bodies  lie  on  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Great  Craggy 
Mountains  and  on  Pisgah  Ridge. 

The  land  is  unsuited  for  agriculture.  It  is  associated  with  the 
stony  loams  of  the  Burton,  Porters,  and  Ashe  series,  and  the  bowl¬ 
ders  on  the  surface  are  of  the  same  rocks  as  form  the  beds  under¬ 
lying  these  several  series. 

Most  of  the  Rough  stony  land  is  forested,  and  timber  constitutes 
its  greatest  value.  The  principal  kinds  of  trees  are  chestnut,  chest¬ 
nut  oak,  white,  black,  and  red  oak,  buckeye,  maple,  poplar,  spruce, 
and  hemlock.  In  a  few  places  the  type  supplies  a  little  grazing. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  BUNCOMBE  COUNTY,  NORTH  CAROLINA.  811 

ROCK  OUTCROP. 

The  areas  mapped  as  Rock  outcrop  represent  solid  ledges  of  rock 
on  the  sides  and  tops  of  the  mountains.  The  areas  are  covered  with 
large  bowlders  with  a  very  little  soil  material  and  are  unsuited  to 
agriculture.  The  most  extensive  areas  are  the  tops  of  Big  Pisgali 
Mountain  and  Bullhead  Mountain.  Several  small  areas  are  scat¬ 
tered  through  the  Great  Craggy  Mountains  and  other  mountains  in 
the  county. 

SUMMARY. 

Buncombe  County  is  situated  in  the  western  part  of  North  Caro¬ 
lina.  The  country  included  consists  of  a  broad  intermountain 
plateau  almost  surrounded  by  mountains.  This  intermountain 
plateau  has  a  rolling  to  hilly  topography  and  in  its  relation  to  the 
mountains  resembles  the  Piedmont  Plateau.  It  has  an  average 
elevation  of  about  2,300  feet  above  sea  level.  The  range  of  eleva¬ 
tion  for  the  entire  county  is  from  1,750  feet  above  sea  level  at  a  point 
where  the  French  Broad  River  enters  Madison  County  to  6,419  feet 
on  the  summit  of  Clingmans  Peak  on  the  northeastern  boundary  of 
the  county. 

The  French  Broad  River  and  its  tributaries  carry  the  drainage 
of  the  county.  Streams  and  streamlets  reach  all  parts  of  the  county 
and  only  a  few  small  areas  of  flat  bottom  land  are  poorly  drained. 

In  1920  the  total  population  of  the  county  was  64,148,  55.6  per 
cent  of  which  was  classed  as  rural.  The  principal  towns  are  Ashe¬ 
ville  (the  county  seat),  Weaverville,  Black  Mountain,  Barnardsville, 
Biltmore,  Leicester,  Swannanoa,  Fairview,  Candler,  and  Montreat. 

Transportation  facilities  are  excellent.  The  main  line  of  the 
Southern  Railway  and  two  branches  of  the  same  system  enter  the 
county.  The  Asheville  &  East  Tennessee  Railroad  (electric)  runs 
from  Asheville  to  Weaverville.  All  the  public  roads  are  excellent 
throughout  the  year;  they  are  well  graded,  and  there  are  many  miles 
of  asphalt,  concrete,  macadam,  and  sand-clay  hard-surfaced  roads. 

The  climate  of  Buncombe  County  is  suitable  for  general  agri¬ 
cultural  pursuits.  The  rainfall  is  sufficient  and  well  distributed 
throughout  the  year  and  the  winters  are  mild.  The  average  grow¬ 
ing  season  is  186  days. 

The  earliest  settlements  were  made  along  the  streams,  especially 
the  Swannanoa  and  French  Broad  Rivers.  The  uplands  were  not 
'  farmed  until  later  on.  At  present  the  population  is  well  distributed 
over  the  county,  except  in  the  roughest  mountain  sections. 

General  farming  and  truck  growing  are  the  prevailing  types  of 
agriculture.  Corn  is  the  main  crop.  Livestock  raising  is  carried 
on  to  some  extent.  Nearly  every  farmer  raises  enough  cattle  and 
hogs  to  supply  the  home  with  meat,  and  a  few  have  cattle  for  sale. 
Fruit  growing  and  cattle  and  sheep  raising  are  receiving  a  good  deal 
of  attention  in  the  mountainous  parts  of  the  county. 

The  heavier  upland  soils  are  recognized  by  the  farmers  as  being 
better  adapted  to  wheat  and  clover,  and  the  lighter  soils  to  corn, 
oats,  potatoes,  and  truck  crops.  Corn  does  best  on  bottom  land,  but 
is  grown  on  all  the  soils  of  the  county. 


? 


812  FIELD  OPERATIONS  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  SOILS,  1920. 

Practically  the  same  methods  and  equipment  prevail  throughout 
the  smoother  part  of  the  county,  but  the  equipment  varies  some  in 
the  mountain  section. 

Acid  phosphate  is  the  most  generally  used  fertilizer,  although 
some  complete  fertilizer  and  a  mixture  of  cottonseed  meal  and  acid 
phosphate  are  used. 

About  74.7  per  cent  of  the  farms  of  the  county  are  operated  by 
the  owners. 

The  average  value  of  farm  lands  is  around  $60  an  acre,  but  many 
of  the  smoother  upland  areas  and  the  bottom  lands  bring  as  high 
as  $200  an  acre. 

Buncombe  County  occurs  in  two  soil  provinces,  the  Appalachian 
Mountain  Plateau  and  the  River  Flood  Plains.  The  Appalachian 
Mountain  Plateau  is  divided  into  an  intermountain  plateau  and  a 
mountain  region.  The  soils  of  the  intermountain  plateau  are  repre¬ 
sented  by  the  Cecil,  Ashe,  Davidson,  Appling,  Iredell,  and  Wilkes 
series.  These  are  good  general  farming  soils,  and  can  be  built  up 
to  a  high  state  of  productiveness.  The  most  extensive  mountain 
soils  are  classed  in  the  Porters,  Burton,  and  Ashe  series.  These  are 
usually  productive  soils  but  are  not  farmed  very  extensively,  owing 
to  their  general  rough  and  mountainous  topography.  The  soils  of 
the  Flood  Plains  are  important  on  account  of  their  productiveness 
and  favorable  position  for  farming,  although  they  occupy  only  a 
small  part  of  the  county.  Most  of  these  alluvial  soils  are  in  culti¬ 
vation,  and  the  crop  yields  are  good. 

/ 

♦ 


o 


BOIL  MAP 


U.  S  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 
BUREAU  OF  SOILS 
IN  COOPERATION  WITH  THE 
NORTH  CAROLINA  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE 
AND  THE  STATE  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 


82*  50' 


45' 


40' 


35' 


30' 


25' 


ijitvil  l‘<  ■ 


Democrat 


Bamart  1  nville 


•  Ha  m  b 


fan  it# 


rvs  sjt-or»  <L  S<  riioi >. 


Ixuiry; 


School 


’Gem 


HOME 


p i v ey  Mou 


;\\Dec  ver  View 


35' 


LEGEND 


Altavista 
fine  9andy  loam 


Am 


Congaree 
fine  sandy  loam 


Cm 


Appling 
fine  sandy  loam 


Ab 


Congaree 
9ilt  loam 


Co 


Ashe 

stony  loam 


Al 


Davidson 
clay  loam 


Ds 


Ashe 

fine  sandy  loam 


Af 


Burton 
stony  loam 


Bs 


Cecil 

stony  loam 


Cs 


Cecil 

fine  sandy  loam 


Cf 

Cecil 

loam 


C 

_ 

Cecil 
clay  loam 


Iredell 
stony  loam 


Porters 
stony  loam 


Ps 


Porters 

loam 


Pi 


Toxaway 

loam 


Tl 


Wilkes 
sandy  loam 


Ws 


Meadow 

<  Conparef  material  i 


Cecil 

clay  Rock  outcrop 


Cc  R 


Rough  stony  land 


Rs 


CONVENTIONAL 

SIGNS 

CULTURE 

f  Pi-intfrf  in  h/nt  / 


i  ity  or  Village  •,  Roads  Building's. 
Wliarves,  .T«-tli*-s,  Breakwater. 
Levee,  Liglitln  ni.se,  Fort 


1.  DOUBLE  TRACK 

SiN&lE  TRACK 

.  JPATAPCS'T.3* 

| - 

Secondary  roads 
and  Trails 


Railxx  >ads 
Steam  mid  Eleetiio 


32 


1 — r+-j— 1 

Bridges,  Fern 

n — r 


Jl 

F<  »iii.  Dam 


"  y  •  • 

— >-  t—~ 

’J1''  R .W  BCU>W' 

RJLcn  »s  sing's ,  'Run  ie  l 

X  h  I 


Sciu  >ol  oi*  C  Tnmdi 
Cemeteries 


K  _ _  I 

Li. 0  -Z: 

*  ~  1 

dm**  i  >i-  l,limny 
Mine  dumps 
Made  land 


BhilV, Escarpment . 
Rock  outcrop  and 
Triangula tion  station 


*<4° .  ;V;: 

Stony  and 
( ir>velly  areas 


Soil  Boimdax'ies 


LANO  GRANT 


CITY  OR  VILLAGE 


Boundarv  lines 


B<  muilaiv  lines 


Civil  township 


■f'-  •( 


Vlftaatuit  Grow  ^  lmi’iili 


'ivssil'onds  Si'-li*,-'  '] 


School 


/%•  w 


r  "ONE 


MiJiinj-y* 


p'w&y  Mou  nta  i  n 


A  SI  IK 


lea  ve r  View 


nn  i  w 


'{1  ft-'Sr-Ki 


/  •  'Hi  •iiiinv  A“i*« ■  •  - 1 


'OTrbinjy 


>A 'O  S t/OAL  S/ffCfii 


Ardent 


o  u  ntai 


Baj  c  U 
Sh  oa I s 


Soils  surveyed  by  S.  0.  Perkins  in  charge,  and  R  E 
Devereux  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture, 
and  S  F  Davidson,  and  W  A.  Davis  of  the  North 
Carolina  Department  of  Agriculture. 


i 


'*  Miles 


Scale  1  inch  1  mile 


j/r<-  *( 


tv>«  »iV>a  dfc  Seh^ 


*1  * *r  sn iil  Crow  <  ’lnmsli 


, 'New  Bi-idg’e 


frOwe 


~Mi .  Mitchell 


aril 


iWtkdpoliv 


m  5  . 


TCrnma 


Deaver  View 


lOteV 


ricviJ 


'Inand. 


Lomur 


’MlevieV" 


Skylanclj, 


'.'OVa  SHOAL  3/>ICfo 


HU*cU 


iy  Creek. 


/  Mounta 

sivfv^' 


B/ucW 
Shoa  Is 


40' 


35' 


30' 


25 


82°  20' 


Cecil 

clay  Rock  outcrop 


Cc  R 


Rough  stony  land 


Rs 


CONVENTIONAL 

SIGNS 

CULTURE 

f  I’ri/ifft/  in  /»/«/•/.'  > 


•  'itN'oi1  Village,  Roads  Hi iil< lings. 
Whtirves,  .Jetties.  Breakwater. 
LevRe,  Lightlu  mse..  Fort 


Second/uy  l-oaris 
and  Tt-ails 


~|'.0  .  e  TMACH 

Railroads 
Steam  and  Elschic 


-  — • 

Bridges,  Fenv 


F<  nil.  Dam 


*  * 


Min** « »i-  fjtiariy 
Mine  -  lumps 
Made  land 


R  "  BELOW 

R.K  s  -i  t  >s  sings ,  Tii  i  n  ie  1 


ct»/  ■  f : 

S- -In  h>1  cu*(  lunxii 
1  erne  tei  ie  s 


Bh  ill’  Escarpment , 
Rock  outcrop  ;<nd 
Triangula  tion  station 


Stony  and 
1  iivveTlv  ureas 


Soil  lunnidariet 


LAND  GRANT 


Botindaiv  lines 

I  Civil township  ! 
RESERVATION 

Bound  mv  lines 


cmroR  w  llac£ 


!{•  irmdtuv  line* 


IT.S.tr  nvnsliip  and 
section  lines 


RELIEF 

(  I 't  in  if  </  /’//  h/'own  m  •  hlet/'A'  i 


<  *t  ■ntcnu’s 

Dejuvssion  oonlours 


h-rmriiMunt  Hills 
Mountain  Peaks 


San<  1  .Wash  ,and 
Sand  dunes 


Short  *  and  L<  rw  wafci  • 
line.  Sandbar 


DRAINAGE 

i  Plrintael  w  ///«<*  / 


SUvjuus 


Lakes.Pands, 
Intermittent,  lakes 


Lntennittent 

streams 


Swamp 
Suit  mai-slies 


Springs.  C  a  mils  and 
Uitcttfs,  Flumes 


Submerged  marsh 
'lirlal  llats 


Thf  abttvr.  si(/ru*  o/y  r/t 
vurvvrU  (Mi*  on  tin-  noil 

rnaps.Varieilian*  ffrom  thin 

timn/r  ofif  n-o/-  i/i  itoTiu- 
rnupM  of  «ctrb’#r  eft /tea. 


i 


Scale  1  inch  - 1  mile 


'*  Miles 


Field  Operations 
Bureau  of  Soils 

1920 


